Manchester City skipper Richard Dunne has hailed the emergence of Stoke midfielder Glenn Whelan in the Republic of Ireland setup.

Dunne, who saw Whelan initially leave City for Sheffield Wednesday in July 2004 as he attempted to establish himself in first-team football, has been hugely impressed by his development since.

He said: "He was similar to now. He has obviously gained a lot more experience now, but he is a lovely passer and he plays it simple.

"From what I have seen over the last few games, he has added a lot of bite to his game.

"He gets stuck in well and he tackles well, but he is playing very sensibly at the moment.

"He is winning the ball and playing it simple and keeping things easy for himself."