Former Ireland international Richard Dunne has been released by QPR, along with compatriot Brian Murphy, following the club’s relegation from the Premier League.
Defender Dunne and former Bohemians goalkeeper Murphy join Rio Ferdinand, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Joey Barton and Bobby Zamora in heading out the exit door at Loftus Road, the club confirmed today.
Thirty-five-year-old centre-half Dunne made 28 appearances this season while Waterford-native Murphy failed to make any starts between the posts during the Londoners’ disappointing season.
Dunne made 69 appearances in total following his signing in the summer of 2013 after the Dubliner’s release from Aston Villa.
Most notably, he put in a man-of-the-match performance when QPR won promotion to the Premier League with a play-off final victory over Derby last year.
Murphy, meanwhile, moved to QPR from Ipswich in August 2011, initially as understudy to Paddy Kenny and the 32-year-old made just six appearances during his four years at the club.
Barton and Zamora played 24 and 33 games respectively this season but Ferdinand, whose wife Rebecca died from cancer earlier this month, managed just 12 appearances after joining from Manchester United last summer.
Wright-Phillips, like Murphy, struggled to be even a bit-part player.
On-loan quartet Mauricio Isla, Niko Kranjcar, Eduardo Vargas and Mauro Zarate have all returned to their parent clubs.
However, 36-year-old defender Clint Hill and Alejandro Faurlin, whose contracts are also due to expire, have been offered new deals to stay at Loftus Road this summer while midfielder Karl Henry has until 30 June to exercise his contractual option for a further year.
