Richard Dunne would jump at the chance to manage in the League of Ireland, if the right opportunity comes up. The Ireland legend has seen his former international team-mate Damien Duff take the league by storm after guiding Shelbourne to the title. And Stephen Elliott, another of his ex-Ireland colleagues, has put Wexford FC within touching distance of top spot in the First Division on his managerial bow. Pro Licence holder Dunne was linked with the Bohemians job back in 2022, before the Gypsies appointed Declan Devine. But the 45-year-old is eager to start his own managerial career, having done some coaching in England and France. Speaking to Mirror Sport, Dunne said: “It's something I’d be really interested in. Everybody is looking at it as a really good challenge and a great place to be. I’d be no different if something came up. But it's all about timing and getting things right and getting involved in the right place at the right time. “It's a really good league and it's a really good standard of football at the moment. For anyone with any interest in football, it looks like a really good place to be. It shouldn't even be a question. The TV coverage that Virgin Media are giving it, the radio, the newspapers, the levels of fan interest, it's a really competitive place to be.” Dunne is fascinated by the strides Duff is making as Shelbourne boss, and how he has also boosted the profile of the league in his short time involved. “The standard is really good in the League of Ireland and the results in Europe have backed that up this year,” continued Dunne. “To everybody who is coaching and wants to get into top level football, they know the League of Ireland is a really good avenue. The way Damien and Stephen Elliott have set off on their early managerial careers has been brilliant. And it’s brilliant for the League of Ireland to see how motivated and driven they are to make the league succeed, not just their own careers.” Robbie Keane was another of Dunne’s long-time Ireland team-mates and the former Ireland captain has taken a different path on his managerial career. Keane went to Israel and won a league title with Maccabi Tel Aviv, but received criticism for working there during the Israel-Hamas conflict. He is now in charge of Hungarian giants Ferencvaros and Dunne - who is a William Hill ambassador - said: “There are completely different ways of doing things. You see it so often with coaching and management, you don't just pick your job. You try to get in where you can and take the route that suits you best. The two of them have been equally successful in what they have done.” And Dunne explained: “Damien has probably got the higher profile back in Ireland at the moment because of what he's doing in the League of Ireland. He's improving Shelbourne every single week and making them a stronger club and the League of Ireland a stronger league. “And likewise with Robbie, he's been a success with his club in Israel and he's got a second chance to go somewhere else now in Hungary and started reasonably well. “It's a challenge and it's not the easy way to do things. He's taken a risk and a chance at a big club in a league that Irish fans don't get to see. It's not an easy task for him, but it shows his attitude and his courage as a manager to risk it in a league that he doesn't know well.” Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email alerts.