Richard Dunne has been praised by Sven-Goran Eriksson for overcoming illness to lead his side to victory over Manchester United in a heroic performance.

The Irish centre-half was so unwell with tonsillitis that he was not allowed to sleep in the team hotel before the Manchester derby. But he was a rock in the City defence that yesterday helped beat United in a league fixture at Old Trafford for the first time since 1974.

“In effect he came straight from his bed to Old Trafford to play, [which is] amazing," Eriksson said. “His performance was impeccable, just like the fans. As the captain he was excellent. He did not train on Saturday or come to the hotel the evening before the game. He just arrived at 10am on Sunday.”

Dunne said he had been reluctant miss the game. “I hadn’t been too well but I had every intention of playing in this one”, he said. The game and performance were brilliant. We’ve been disappointed with our last few performances and this time we got stuck into them.

“We knew if we didn’t put in a performance we would be in trouble. We got the goals at the right time and in the second half we worked really hard.”

Darius Vassell, who opened the scoring in the 2-1 win, said Eriksson motivated the players by reminding them how long it had been since the club won at Old Trafford

He said: “There was pressure on everyone, both the team and the supporters, and there had been a lot of debate all week about whether a minority might not observe the minute’s silence.

“We didn’t know what to expect, but our fans did remarkably well, not just for those 60 seconds, but all through the game. We could hear them loud and clear and it does lift players to get that kind of backing.”

He added: “My goal was probably one of the most important I have scored. It will certainly go into the memory bank for me to smile about when I am retired. The manager told us how long it was since the last City win at Old Trafford and that was all he had to say to inspire us.”

“Benjani can take us into Europe. He has the technique, the pace and can keep the ball up in attack. He also scores goals. He will be very important for us as we aim for Europe.

“It was the right time for him to show it. He is the perfect player for the system we play, and he will help us reach Europe. Let’s hope he stays fit and can play in all the games, he has great attitude and is great value for money.”