David Bentley: Promised so much but has ultimately delivered little

At 25 years of age, David Bentley should be approaching his peak years; yet instead, he is the forgotten man of English football. Once hailed as the successor to David Beckham, Bentley is barely on the radar of most football fans anymore.

Bentley started his career with Arsenal but he found it difficult to break into the first team, so after loan spells at Norwich and Blackburn he decided to make the move to Rovers on a permanent basis. He celebrated this move with a hat-trick against Manchester United at Old Trafford; the first player to achieve that particular feat. More impressive performances earned Bentley an England call-up and his crossing ability led to comparisons with Beckham. At a time when England had no regular right-sided midfielder, the opportunity was there for Bentley to secure the position as his own, but a series of mediocre appearances cost him this opportunity. After Mark Hughes left Blackburn for Manchester City, Bentley was linked with a transfer to a number of clubs including Manchester United and Valencia. Eventually it was Tottenham that signed him for an initial £15million.

After an indifferent start to the season, Bentley scored one of the goals of last season in the North London derby as he unleashed a dipping volley from 43 yards to score the opening goal of the game at the Emirates. Much like that volley, Bentley’s form has dipped severely. He lost his place in the Tottenham side to Aaron Lennon who has been revitalised since the arrival of Harry Redknapp at the club; Lennon provides pace and penetration whereas Bentley is more known for his crossing than his dribbling. Lennon’s form and the emergence of Luka Modric have limited Bentley to sporadic appearances for Spurs, either as a substitute or in the League Cup. Recently, the manager has been willing to play both Niko Kranjcar and Robbie Keane in wide positions in preference to Bentley. There have also been problems off the field, as Bentley was banned from driving for a year after he pleaded guilty to a drink-driving offence. In addition, he was fined two weeks’ wages by his club and lost a commercial deal with Puma.

In the North London derby a few weeks ago, Bentley was given a place in the starting line-up as a replacement for the injured Aaron Lennon. The stage was set for Bentley to show the world of football that he was still the player he had once promised to be. Unfortunately, Spurs, and Bentley in particular, had a poor game. He was lucky not to be booked twice in the early stages of the game after a late tackle and a deliberate handball. An audacious attempt to recreate the wonder-goal of last season ended in comic failure. Bentley looked like a desperate man, trying to rediscover the key to unlocking the talent which he still believes he has.

A deadline day loan swap deal with Manchester City’s Martin Petrov collapsed, but rumours are once again circulating that Bentley is a wanted man at Eastlands. Mark Hughes helped to turn Bentley into the player that commanded a £15million fee; reuniting the player with his mentor could be exactly what is needed to reignite his career. Bentley has not lost his talent, he has lost his confidence and self-belief, but a change of surroundings could help him make a return to past glories.