 Bentley training withRostov in 2012 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | David Michael Bentley[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1984-08-27)27 August 1984 (age 41)[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Peterborough, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)[2] | ||
| Position | Winger | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –1997 | Wormley Rovers | ||
| 1997–2001 | Arsenal | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2001–2006 | Arsenal | 1 | (0) |
| 2004–2005 | →Norwich City (loan) | 26 | (2) |
| 2005–2006 | →Blackburn Rovers (loan) | 14 | (0) |
| 2006–2008 | Blackburn Rovers | 88 | (13) |
| 2008–2013 | Tottenham Hotspur | 42 | (2) |
| 2011 | →Birmingham City (loan) | 13 | (0) |
| 2011 | →West Ham United (loan) | 5 | (0) |
| 2012–2013 | →Rostov (loan) | 7 | (0) |
| 2013 | →Blackburn Rovers (loan) | 5 | (0) |
| Total | 201 | (17) | |
| International career | |||
| 2000–2001 | England U16 | 4 | (0) |
| 2002 | England U18 | 3 | (0) |
| 2002–2003 | England U19 | 6 | (0) |
| 2003 | England U20 | 1 | (0) |
| 2004–2007 | England U21 | 8 | (4) |
| 2007 | England B | 1 | (0) |
| 2007–2008 | England | 7 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
David Michael Bentley (born 27 August 1984) is an English former professionalfootballer who played primarily as awinger, but also played as acentral midfielder or as asecond striker.
Bentley started his career withArsenal in thePremier League, and despite being earmarked as one for the future, saw his playing opportunities limited by a strong senior squad. He spent two seasons onloan withNorwich City andBlackburn Rovers, and sealed a permanent transfer to Rovers in January 2006. Bentley produced strong performances for his new club, and soon featured regularly for theEngland under-21 team. He made hissenior international debut againstIsrael in September 2007. In July 2008, Bentley joinedTottenham Hotspur. He spent time on loan withBirmingham City,West Ham United,Rostov and a brief return to Blackburn before being released by Tottenham in 2013. After not playing for more than a year, Bentley retired from football in 2014, citing his loss of passion for the sport.
Born inPeterborough, Cambridgeshire,[1] Bentley grew up supportingManchester United.[3] Bentley started his youth career at Wormley Youth Football Club inWormley, Hertfordshire, before moving toArsenal aged 13 as astriker, occasionally playingin the hole.[4] He was used primarily inmidfield, usually as awide midfielder.[4] As a 16-year-old he trained with the Arsenal senior squad,[5] before signing his first professional contract in September 2001.[1] By January 2003, he was handed his first-team debut, coming on as a substitute forKolo Touré in the 77th minute of a 2–0FA Cup third round win overOxford United.[6] Bentley's first and only goal for Arsenal was a chip shot from the edge of thepenalty area over goalkeeperMark Schwarzer, in a 4–1 FA Cup win overMiddlesbrough on 24 January 2004.[6][7] He played once in the league for Arsenal, starting a 1–1 draw against Portsmouth on 4 May 2004, in which he was substituted after 61 minutes forNwankwo Kanu.[8]
Bentley spent the whole ofthe next league season onloan toNorwich City, playing 26 league matches and scoring two goals, against Newcastle and Southampton.[9] His season atCarrow Road was interrupted by a knee injury sustained in January.[10] He returned to the team in April 2005, coming off the bench against Manchester United and playing a key role in Norwich's 2–0 win.[11] Despite a late run of form, the Canaries wererelegated from thePremier League on the last day of the season after a 6–0 defeat away toFulham.[12] Bentley returned to Arsenal in the summer of 2005, but submitted a transfer request, citing his desire for first team football.[6] In subsequent interviews, he also revealed that he was having "personal problems" at that point in his career and had lost his enjoyment for football—problems which he overcame later in his Blackburn Rovers career.[13] He admitted to gambling addiction in the early stages of his career, reaching a peak of placing 100 bets a day. He got over his problems in 2005.[14]
Desiring a permanent move, Bentley was linked with a number of clubs includingWolverhampton Wanderers,[citation needed] before returning on a further season's loan, toBlackburn Rovers on 31 August 2005.[15]
In January 2006, Blackburn signed Bentley on a permanent basis from Arsenal.[16] In his first match after permanently signing for Blackburn, he scored his first seniorhat-trick in a 4–3 victory against Manchester United.[16] Bentley went on to feature regularly for Blackburn in the2005–06 season, and helped the club finish sixth in league standings and qualify for the2006–07 UEFA Cup.[9][17]
The2006–07 season saw Bentley become more of a regular goalscorer for Rovers, including some stunning strikes in the Premier League.[18][19] In Europe, a 25-yard volley againstSalzburg in the UEFA Cup helped secure Rovers' passage into the group stage,[20] where he also scored a last minute winner againstWisła Kraków.[21] Bentley's club performances attracted much transfer speculation.[citation needed] However, on 27 February 2007, despite being linked to a move to Manchester United, he agreed to a new contract that would keep him with Blackburn until 2011.[22][23] Commenting on the new deal, Rovers managerMark Hughes described Bentley as "a great talent with a big future" while chairman John Williams added that he "is widely regarded as one of the best young footballers in the country."[23] Bentley ended the season with seven goals and 13assists for Blackburn, the latter statistic also highlighting his creative importance to the team.[9] He was later voted by Rovers fans as the club's Player of the Year.[24]
Bentley recorded similar statistics inthe following season, scoring eight goals and providing 13 assists.[9] Blackburn finished seventh in the Premier League, but did not qualify for European competition.[citation needed] Bentley's consistent performances for his club, however, ensured that he played in a series of post-season friendlies for England.[citation needed] But that was to be the Englishman's final season with the Lancashire club.[citation needed] Not long after the departure of manager Mark Hughes toManchester City, Bentley reiterated his desire to leave. Blackburn placed a valuation of the player at around £18 million.[citation needed]
On 31 July 2008,Tottenham Hotspur announced their signing of Bentley, on a six-year contract, for a £15 million fee, with an additional £2 million conditional on future performance.[25] Reports suggested that £7 million of this fee was payable to Bentley's former employers, Arsenal.[25][26] Bentley made his competitive debut on 16 August 2008 away at Middlesbrough where Spurs lost 2–1.[27] He scored his first competitive goal for Spurs in the2008–09 UEFA Cup first round tie against Wisła Kraków on 18 September 2008. He then scored his first league goal for Tottenham against his old club Arsenal with a 43-yard dipping volley in a 4–4 draw on 29 October 2008.[28] This led the British mathematician Tony Mann to askMarcus du Sautoy to name asymmetry group in honour of David Bentley; the group is labelled Set [C[1], C[2], C[3], C[4]]=[40, 13, 4, 4], with the final two digits corresponding to the result of the match.[29] Bentley's form would suffer at Tottenham, however, and after falling down the pecking order for both club and country, it was reported on 17 June 2009 that he was in talks to move toAston Villa.[30] Subsequently, it was revealed by Bentley and Aston Villa that this was untrue.[31]
The form ofAaron Lennon meant that Bentley was mostly used as a substitute for the start2009–10 season, although he did score a free kick in Tottenham's 9–1 victory overWigan Athletic, with the ball then going in off the back of Wigan goalkeeperChris Kirkland.[32]
On 12 January 2011, Bentley joinedBirmingham City on loan for the remainder of the season.[33] He went straight into the starting eleven for theSecond City derby against Aston Villa and was namedman of the match.[34] Bentley scored his first goal for Birmingham in a 3–2 win againstCoventry City in the fourth round of the2010–11 FA Cup.[citation needed] Bentley wascup-tied for Birmingham's victory in the2011 League Cup Final.[35] Described in theBirmingham Mail's season review as having "flattered to deceive", he failed to establish himself in the first team, and returned to Tottenham at the end of the season.[36]
On 31 August 2011, Bentley signed a season-long loan deal withChampionship clubWest Ham United.[37] He made his debut on 10 September 2011 in a 4–3 home win againstPortsmouth coming on in the 63rd minute forJulien Faubert.[38] In October 2011, he was ruled out for six months following a knee operation and returned to Tottenham for treatment, after playing five matches for West Ham.[39] In February 2012, Bentley was named in Tottenham's 25-man squad for the second half of the2011–12 season despite his injury.[40]
Despite featuring prominently in Tottenham's pre-season under new managerAndré Villas-Boas, on 7 September 2012, Bentley went out on loan to Russian clubRostov.[41] Bentley became the first Englishman to play in theRussian Premier League[42][43] when he made his debut for the club on 15 September, playing the full 90 minutes in a 1–0 victory overDynamo Moscow.[44][45] He went on to start all four subsequent league matches for Rostov before picking up an ankle injury in the 0–0 draw withLokomotiv Moscow on 21 October.[citation needed] Bentley made seven appearances for Rostov without scoring.[46]
In January 2013, Bentley's former manager at Tottenham,Harry Redknapp, attempted to sign him on loan forQueens Park Rangers as a potential supplier of crosses forPeter Crouch.[citation needed] However, the move did not take place because Crouch did not sign for QPR and Bentley's weekly wage of £50,000 was deemed too high.[47] On 15 February, Bentley returned to former club Blackburn Rovers on a 93-day loan.[48] He made his second Blackburn début the next day, coming on as substitute in a fifth round FA Cup away win at Arsenal.[49]
On 7 June 2013, the Premier League confirmed that he had been released by Tottenham Hotspur.[50] On 3 August 2013,Levski Sofia managerSlaviša Jokanović expressed interest in signing Bentley and his former Tottenham teammateCristian Ceballos.[51]
On 13 June 2014, Bentley announced his retirement from professional football at the age of 29, having been without a club for over a year. He stated in an interview that he had fallen out of love with football, calling the modern game "robotic" due to the influence of social media and money, as well as "predictable and a bit too calculated". He said that he wished to spend time with his three children.[52][53] By October 2014, Bentley was a co-owner of a restaurant inMarbella, Spain, where he and his family had moved to.[54] Bentley has also invested in beach clubs and a restaurant inWoodford Green, London withRaheem Sterling andAlex Oxlade-Chamberlain.[55][56]
In 2015, as part of a job-swap documentary for Irish television,[57] Bentley trained for and played in aGaelic football match forCrossmaglen Rangers; in return,Aaron Kernan was to train withSunderland.[58][59]
Bentley played for the England under-15 and under-16 teams, captained the England under-18 team and played for theEngland under-21 team.[6][16] He recorded eightcaps and four goals with the under-21 team,[60] He was the first Englishman to score at the newWembley Stadium in a match against theItaly under-21 team on 24 March 2007.[61]
In May 2007, following an impressive 2006–07 season for Blackburn, Bentley was called up for theEngland B international atTurf Moor for a match againstAlbania. After naming him as a starter, England managerSteve McClaren said Bentley had the potential to become England's "newDavid Beckham".[62] In that match, Bentley provided the cross forStewart Downing's first goal and was involved in the buildup to Downing's second in the 3–1 victory for England.[63] He received the man of the match award for his performance.[63] The next day, he was named in McClaren's 26-man fullEngland squad for thefriendly match againstBrazil and theUEFA Euro 2008 qualifier againstEstonia.[13]
In June 2007, Bentley was called up to the England under-21 squad for the2007 UEFA European Under-21 Championship in the Netherlands. However, he pulled out of the squad citing fatigue, and England under-21 managerStuart Pearce questioned the midfielder's commitment to the national squad.[64] This withdrawal led to Bentley being excluded from the senior England squad for the friendly againstGermany,[65] but he was selected for the UEFA Euro 2008 qualifiers againstIsrael andRussia. He made his senior debut when he came on as asubstitute forShaun Wright-Phillips against Israel, but was jeered by some of the fans due to his previous refusal to play for the under-21 team.[66] Bentley has since revealed that he was instructed by Blackburn to make himself unavailable due to having just completed a full season with Domestic, European and International appearances, as well as a July start to the 2007-08 season for the UEFA Intertoto Cup.[67]
Bentley started for England for the first time in the friendly againstSwitzerland on 6 February 2008.[68]
Most often Bentley played as aright winger, but he could also play as acentral midfielder or asecond striker. When at Arsenal, Bentley was stated to play in the second striker role.[6]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Europe | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Arsenal | 2002–03[69] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2003–04[70] | Premier League | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1[c] | 0 | 8 | 1 | |
| 2005–06[71] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Total | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 1 | ||
| Norwich City (loan) | 2004–05[72] | Premier League | 26 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 28 | 2 | |
| Blackburn Rovers | 2005–06[71] | Premier League | 29 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 1 | — | 35 | 5 | |
| 2006–07[73] | Premier League | 36 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8[d] | 3 | 51 | 7 | |
| 2007–08[74] | Premier League | 37 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 6[e] | 1 | 47 | 9 | |
| Total | 102 | 13 | 8 | 2 | 9 | 2 | 14 | 4 | 133 | 21 | ||
| Tottenham Hotspur | 2008–09[75] | Premier League | 25 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5[d] | 1 | 35 | 2 |
| 2009–10[76] | Premier League | 15 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 1 | — | 24 | 3 | ||
| 2010–11[77] | Premier League | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2011–12[78] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2012–13[79] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Total | 42 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 62 | 5 | ||
| Birmingham City (loan) | 2010–11[77] | Premier League | 13 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 15 | 1 | ||
| West Ham United (loan) | 2011–12[78] | Championship | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | 5 | 0 | |||
| FC Rostov (loan) | 2012–13[80] | Russian Premier League | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 8 | 0 | ||
| Blackburn Rovers (loan) | 2012–13[79] | Championship | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 7 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 201 | 17 | 24 | 5 | 22 | 3 | 20 | 5 | 267 | 30 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| England[81] | 2007 | 2 | 0 |
| 2008 | 5 | 0 | |
| Total | 7 | 0 | |
Tottenham Hotspur
Individual
