Former Hearts star savours emotional QPR moment of joy after suffering family tragedy before match

A former Hearts star has savoured an emotional weekend goal after a tragic passing before the game.

Jimmy Dunne was only at Hearts for six months but made a big impression on loan from Burnley during the 2018/19 season. He is now in the English Championship with QPR where the Irishman has overcome the passing of his dad to feature for the Loftus Road club during Saturday's 3-0 win against Norwich City in London.

The funeral was on Friday but Dunne managed to gather himself to not only start the match, but kick off the goals that sealed a big win for his club, who hadn't won on home soil this campaign prior to Saturday's game. Speaking on the goal with ITV, he said: "It was an emotional goal.

“Maybe it was written in the stars, the ball ricocheting around me, someone had to put it in the net. Yeah, it's been a really tough week for my friends and family back home.

“I just needed to go back to be there for my sister, my brother, my mother, everyone else. I was just really, really grateful that I could get back in time for the game, and that the manager trusted me enough to play."

Asked if his dad played a role in the goal, he added: To be honest yeah. I did feel like that, because it came to me first time and ricocheted back in my direction again for some reason. These things are sometimes meant to be."