Lewis Carl Dunk (born 21 November 1991) is an English professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for club Brighton & Hove Albion and the England national team.
Dunk started his youth career at Wimbledon before joining Brighton & Hove Albion's academy in 2003. He made his first-team debut for Brighton in 2010, and was part of the team that won the League One title in the 2010–11 season.
In the 2016–17 season, Dunk achieved promotion to the Premier League with Brighton, and was named in the PFA Championship Team of the Year. Appointed captain in 2019, Dunk led the club to their maiden European qualification in the 2022–23 season, as they qualified for the following season's UEFA Europa League.
Dunk is uncapped at youth international level, despite being called up to the England under-21 squad in 2011. He made his senior England debut in 2018.
Dunk is engaged to his partner, to whom he proposed in 2019.
Dunk joined Isthmian League Premier Division club Bognor Regis Town on loan in early 2010, and made his debut on 8 February in a 3–1 home win over Tonbridge Angels. He scored his only goal on 27 February with a header 1–1 home draw with Cray Wanderers and went on to finish the loan with eight appearances.
At the start of the 2010–11 season, Dunk suffered a foot injury that kept him out for four weeks.
He made his first appearance of the season, playing the whole game, in a 1–1 draw against Tranmere Rovers on 2 October 2010. His performance against Woking in the FA Cup on 6 November drew criticism, with manager Gus Poyet saying: "In the first half he did quite well, then, because of the situation, he was one of the players who started to do things he doesn't do normally, changing the ball, going too long, playing with a little bit more risk." Dunk continued to fight for a starting place in the club's defence throughout the 2010–11 season.
On 31 January 2011, he signed a one-year contract extension to keep him at the club until June 2013. Dunk made eight appearances in the 2010–11 season as Brighton gained promotion to the EFL Championship as League One champions.
Dunk's struggles for regular game time continued into the start of the 2013–14 season.
On 4 October 2013, Dunk joined League One club Bristol City on a one-month loan deal, to gain some first-team football. He made his debut for the club in a 2–1 away defeat to Wycombe Wanderers on 8 October in the 2013–14 Football League Trophy. Dunk suffered a knee injury and was substituted in the 40th minute, as Bristol City won 4–2 against Carlisle United on 26 October 2013. Upon the conclusion of his loan spell, he then returned from injury for the club's development team on 11 November 2013 against Ipswich Town's development team, winning 3–1.
Two months later, on 4 January 2014, Dunk made his first appearance of the season for Brighton, playing 23 minutes in a 1–0 win against Reading in the third round of the 2013–14 FA Cup. Dunk made 11 appearances for Brighton in the 2013–14 season, which included a start on 11 May 2014 in a 4–1 defeat to Derby County in the semi-final second-leg of the 2014 Championship play-offs.
Dunk retained his place in the team and was able to regain his form in the defence.
He then helped to keep five consecutive clean sheets between 23 February 2016 and 15 March 2016 against Bristol City, Leeds United (in which, Dunk scored his first goal of the season), Preston North End, Sheffield Wednesday and Reading.
He then scored two consecutive goals in two matches between 5 April 2016 and 11 April 2016 against Birmingham City and Nottingham Forest.
He was sent off on two occasions throughout the 2015–16 season, both second bookable offence; the first one came on 15 December 2015 against Queens Park Rangers, drawing 1–1 and the second came on 2 May 2016 against Derby County for second bookable, drawing 2–2.
The red card in the latter meant that he would miss the last game of the season, an away trip to Middlesbrough in winner-takes-all earning automatic promotion to the Premier League. Middlesbrough were ahead on goal difference and were promoted to the top flight after a 1–1 draw, with Brighton having to compete in the 2016 Championship play-offs to fight for promotion. Dunk scored in Brighton's 1–1 play-off semi-final second-leg home draw against Sheffield Wednesday on 16 May 2016, however Brighton's 3–1 aggregate defeat condemned them to another season in the Championship. Despite this, he regained his first-team place and playing in the centre-back position throughout the 2015–16 season.
Dunk made 41 appearances in the 2015–16 season, scoring four times.
On 2 January 2017, Dunk scored his second goal of the season, in a 2–1 win against Fulham. Shortly after serving a two-match suspension, he returned to the starting line-up as captain, helping the side win 2–1 against Sheffield Wednesday.
After captaining for the second time, Dunk was sent off for second bookable offence, in a 3–1 loss against Huddersfield Town on 2 February 2017.
After serving a one-match suspension, he returned to the starting line-up, in 4–1 win against Burton Albion on 11 February 2017.
Two weeks later, on 25 February 2017, Dunk made his 150th appearance for the club, in a 3–0 win against Reading.
He formed a partnership at centre-back with new Brighton signing Shane Duffy throughout the 2016–17 season.
The club conceded a joint-league best of 40 goals for the season, in which Brighton were promoted to the Premier League.
In this season, Dunk was also named in the PFA Championship Team of the Year alongside fellow Brighton players David Stockdale, Bruno and Anthony Knockaert. He also finished third place for the club's Player of the Year award behind Stockdale and Knockaert.
At the start of the 2018–19 season, Dunk suffered an ankle injury and was substituted in the 20th minute, as Brighton won 3–2 against Manchester United on 19 August 2018, resulting in him being sidelined for one match.
On 1 September, he returned to the starting line-up in a 2–2 draw against Fulham. Since returning from injury, Dunk retained his place in the team, partnering Shane Duffy at centre-back as well as resuming his captain duty in the absence of Bruno.
On 5 October, Dunk, alongside centre-back partner Duffy, signed a new contract with Brighton, with the pair signing five-year contracts that extended their stays at the club until June 2023. He then helped the side keep three consecutive clean sheets between 5 and 27 October against West Ham United, Newcastle and Wolverhampton Wanderers (Wolves).
Dunk's only goals in the 2018–19 season came in consecutive games in November 2018: a 3–1 loss to Everton and a 2–1 defeat to Cardiff City. On 17 March 2019, Dunk played the entirety of Brighton's 2–2 draw against Millwall in the 2018–19 FA Cup sixth round. Dunk scored in the resulting penalty shoot-out, which Brighton won 5–4 to qualify for the FA Cup semi-final for the second time in the club's history. He captained the side in the semi-final at their first visit to the new Wembley Stadium, with Bruno on the bench, in the 1–0 defeat to Manchester City. Since returning from suspension, he retained his place in the team as well as the captaincy for the rest of the 2018–19 season, helping Brighton finish 17th in the table.
By the end of the 2018–19 season, Dunk had made 38 appearances, scoring twice. He finished second place for the club's Player of the Year behind Duffy.
Dunk signed a new five-year contract with Brighton in August 2020. He was sent off for the second time in his Premier League career in the final moments of the game for a late, accidental, two-footed challenge on Gary Cahill in a 1–1 away draw against Crystal Palace on 18 October. Dunk scored his first goal of the 2020–21 season on 27 December, finishing off a short Corner kick to put Brighton ahead in an eventual 2–2 away draw away to West Ham. He scored again two games later, converting another set piece from a corner, with the equaliser in a 3–3 home draw against Wolves in Brighton's first match of 2021. Dunk played in Brighton's 1–0 away victory over defending champions Liverpool on 3 February, to claim their first league win at Anfield since 1982. Dunk made his 300th league appearance for Brighton on 6 February when he scored the opening goal of the game with a header from a corner in an eventual 1–1 away draw to Burnley. On 27 February, in a 1–0 away defeat at West Brom, Dunk had a goal controversially ruled out by referee Lee Mason after reviewing the video assistant referee (VAR) with the free kick which Dunk scored from was deemed to have been taken too quickly. After being denied the goal against West Brom, he scored his 10th Premier League goal two games later, scoring the first goal in an eventual 2–1 away win over Southampton, on 14 March, Brighton's first victory in the Premier League over their south coast rivals. On 9 May, Dunk scored the opening goal in an away fixture against Wolves, however he was later dismissed for pulling back Fábio Silva who was darting for goal with Wolves going on to capitalise on his dismissal scoring two, going on to win 2–1. Teammate Neal Maupay was later sent off after the full time whistle for confronting the referee, Jon Moss. He returned for Brighton's last game of the season away to Arsenal where they lost 2–0, ending the season in 16th place with a respectful −6 goal difference, conceding 46 goals. At Brighton's end of season awards, Dunk received the 2020–21 Players' Player of the Season, after which he stated: "For your teammates to vote for you, I think it's the best award you can win."
On 7 August 2022, Dunk led Brighton to their first win at Old Trafford in their opening match of the 2022–23 season after beating Manchester United 2–1. In Brighton's fifth league match of the season, a 2–1 away loss at Fulham on 30 August, Dunk turned the ball into his own net, making it his sixth own goal in his Premier League career. He scored his first FA Cup goal since 2015 on 29 January 2023, scoring the equaliser in the eventual 2–1 home win over defending champions Liverpool to send Brighton to the fifth round. The win meant he had led Brighton to a draw and two victories against Liverpool in the 2022–23 season. Dunk made his 400th appearance for his hometown club on 28 February, in the 1–0 away win over Stoke City with Brighton going through to the FA Cup quarter-final. He scored his first league goal of the season on 8 April, coming on his 200th Premier League appearance, heading in a Solly March corner levelling the game in the eventual 2–1 away loss at Tottenham. Dunk captained Brighton to a second trip to Wembley in the FA Cup semi-final on 23 April, scoring in the penalty shoot-out, but ultimately went on to lose to Manchester United to make it two unsuccessful trips to the stadium. On 21 May, Dunk led Brighton to a 3–1 home win over Southampton which secured a top seven finish to qualify for Europe for the first time in the club's history. Three days later, he remained on the bench and was rested for the first time in the league this season. Brighton went on to seal a place in the 2023–24 UEFA Europa League, after a 1–1 home draw against champions Manchester City. Dunk remained an unused substitute again in Brighton's next fixture and the last game of the season, a 2–1 away loss to Aston Villa on 28 May, with it being revealed that he was carrying an injury.
On 25 November 2023, Dunk was shown a straight red card after having a disagreement with the referee Anthony Taylor over awarding the home side a penalty as his teammate Jack Hinshelwood committed a foul on Callum Hudson-Odoi. This was his fifth red card in the Premier League. Despite this, his team held on for the 3–2 away win at Nottingham Forest. On 24 February 2024, Dunk made in his 400th league appearance for Brighton, in which he scored a header in stoppage time to equalise against Everton.
In October 2018, he was called up for the first time to replace the injured James Tarkowski in the senior England squad for matches against Croatia and Spain in the Nations League. However, he did not make an appearance. In the next month Dunk was called up again for a friendly against United States and a Nations League match against Croatia. He made his debut on 15 November playing in the whole match in England's 3–0 win over the United States at Wembley Stadium. In doing so, he became the fourth Brighton player to earn a senior England cap, and the first since Steve Foster in 1982.
In May 2023, after a four-and-a-half-year absence, he was recalled by Gareth Southgate for matches against Malta and North Macedonia in UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying. However, he later withdrew from the England squad due to a niggling injury which curtailed his season with Brighton. On 31 August, Dunk was yet again called up for the next round of international fixtures, this time a Euro qualifier against Ukraine and a friendly with Scotland to mark 150 years of the first international match. He made his second England appearance on 12 September, almost five years after his debut, starting and playing the full match of the 3–1 away win over Scotland at Hampden Park. He was named in England's 26-man squad for UEFA Euro 2024.
+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition !rowspan="2" | Club !rowspan="2" | Season !colspan="3" | League !colspan="2" | FA Cup !colspan="2" | EFL Cup !colspan="2" | Other !colspan="2" | Total |
Brighton & Hove Albion | 2009–10 | League One | 0 | ||||
2010–11 | League One | 0 | |||||
2011–12 | EFL Championship | 0 | |||||
2012–13 | Championship | 0 | |||||
2013–14 | Championship | 0 | |||||
2014–15 | Championship | 7 | |||||
2015–16 | Championship | 4 | |||||
2016–17 | Championship | 2 | |||||
2017–18 | Premier League | 1 | |||||
2018–19 | Premier League | 2 | |||||
2019–20 | Premier League | 3 | |||||
2020–21 | Premier League | 5 | |||||
2021–22 | Premier League | 1 | |||||
2022–23 | Premier League | 2 | |||||
2023–24 | Premier League | 4 | |||||
2024–25 | Premier League | 0 | |||||
Bognor Regis Town (loan) | 2009–10 | Isthmian League Premier Division | 1 | ||||
Bristol City (loan) | 2013–14 | League One | 0 | ||||
+ Appearances and goals by national team and year | |
England | 0 |
0 | |
0 | |
England
Individual
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