Hughes backs Cook in Dunne row

Manchester City manager Mark Hughes has defended executive chairman Garry Cook in the wake of Richard Dunne's exit to Aston Villa. The Republic of Ireland defender accused Cook of trying to sell him behind his back and claimed he was ignorant of the "core loyalty" in football.

However, Hughes sees a different side to Cook's character and questions Dunne's assessment.

"It is a little bit unfair to highlight Garry and his perceived role in discussions," said the City chief.

"It wasn't as if Richard was forced out of the club.

"He was the only one who signed a piece of paper to change from being a City player to an Aston Villa player."

Dunne’s relationship with Cook was always unlikely to recover from the latter’s claim that the defender’s name would not “roll off the tongue in Beijing”.

The T allaght man spoke frankly about the circumstances surrounding the move after finalising the deal last week.

“It just needed people to be honest with me,” he said after joining up with the Ireland squad to face Cyprus.

“But there were a hell of a lot of things going on throughout the summer and from the day after the Bulgaria game (in June) I was getting phone calls from people saying Garry Cook has been trying to sell me behind my back, two months after me going to him and saying if he has any problems to come and deal with me.

“I’m disappointed with people who say one thing and then completely do the other.

“I’m not a baby; I’m not going to cry just because the club wants to sell me; I don’t mind, just don’t do it behind my back. In the end, though, they told me they had accepted an offer. I said: ‘Okay, but what happens if I stay and fight for my place?’ They said, well, funnily said: ‘We need the money’, so that was that really.”

Dunne insisted he had a good relationship with Hughes but suggested the manager was merely a bystander in the transfer dealings of the club.