“I don’t know exactly how it came about, but I wasn’t getting a chance at centre-forward, so he decided to have a look at me in defence during training. He once replaced Sol Campbell when playing for England in a pre-France 98 warm-up game against Belgium in Morocco. I’d play centre-mid if I had to, and you can write that just so that the manager knows.”David O’Leary needs no reminding of Dublin’s enthusiasm. He recognises the burning desire of a player who has fought his way up from Fourth Division football with Cambridge United as well as back from a career-threatening leg break while trying to make a name for himself at Manchester United.

Nor does O’Leary, who was a world-class centre-back for Arsenal and the Republic of Ireland, need to be told what makes a good defender.”Dion is a hungry player,” the former Leeds United manager says, “and I feel that he has what it takes to be a Premiership centre-half. If he takes care of himself, the move could add two years to his career.”Dublin’s defensive qualities, in fact, have long been known. “If I’m being totally honest,” he says, “all I want to do is play Maybe that’s why I’ve done OK at centre-back. I want to be picked for the first team every Saturday, and if I have to earn my place by doing a job at the back, then that’s what I’ll do.

Unlike other strikers, such as Manchester United’s Ole Gunnar Solskjaer or Arsenal’s Kanu, Dublin has to be involved. It’s in my blood.”Sitting on the bench is clearly not an option for the player. With Juan Pablo Angel and Darius Vassell keeping him out of the front line, he has left his 16 years as a highly rated striker behind to re- invent himself as a dependable defender.Dublin is too modest to say so himself, but it is no surprise to the Aston Villa faithful that the club’s recent turn-around in fortunes has coincided with his positional switch. “The nicest thing about being asked to move to centre-back,” the 34-year-old explains, “is that I now get a reward for my efforts during the week.