New Football FanCast columnist Aban Quaynor feels David Bentley would be wise to stay at Ewood Park.

David Bentley stresses that he needs to leave Blackburn Rovers to play European football and thereby improve his chances of becoming a regular England international. Yet is he taking a gamble in actively looking to leave the Lancashire club?

In a recent interview Blackburn captain Ryan Nelson brought out the old cliché 'the grass is not always greener on the other side', and the Kiwi could well be right. History has taught us that this can often be the case, just ask Shaun Wright-Phillips. In 2005 the 5 ft 5 inch midfielder wanted to leave Manchester City for Chelsea, citing similar reasons, and look how that move has turned out. He might have a few trophies and a bigger bank balance, but Wright-Phillips's club and international career has well and truly stifled. Bentley is in fact in a good position at Blackburn. He has a guaranteed starting place, he is settled, earned six international caps and is now an ever-present in Fabio Capello's England squads. This said, and bearing in mind there is a glaring example of a move to a bigger club not always being the right move, why is Bentley so intent on leaving Ewood Park?

There is now the chance to have a cheap shot at the former Arsenal player and say his desire to leave is motivated by the prospect of an increased pay packet. However I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt and explore whether it is down to his personal desire for improvement. Training with the likes of Wayne Rooney and Joe Cole must make anyone improve and try to get to the aforementioned player's elite level of performance. Maybe Bentley feels that the only way to do this is by competing against Europe's best in either the UEFA Cup or the Champions League? However surely the best way to test yourself against the best Europe has to offer is by playing your club football on the continent. Very few English players have got out of their comfort zone and gone to ply their trade in one of Europe's other top leagues. Okay Michael Owen wasn't as successful as he might have been, but I bet he feels a better player after playing for Real Madrid. Too many English players refuse to spread their wings and go abroad and this is a contributory factor to why we are not as technically sound as some of our overseas counterparts. If Bentley wants to become a better player, then a stint on the continent in a more technically sound league, such as La Liga, might not be a bad thing. The only way he could improve in England would be by going to one of the 'big four', and while a certain Chelsea 'player' has proved this is not always a good move to make, there is also the question of whether any of those clubs would want him.

Surely Wenger won't admit he made a mistake and take Bentley back, Man United have got Ronaldo (for now), Chelsea look like they are only going to sign players that have played under Scolari and Liverpool probably couldn't afford the £15 million asking price quoted in the media. A move to any other team that finished in the top ten surely could only be seen as a side-ways one, because if you want to prove yourself in Europe, you want to do it in the Champions League. After all will playing against Romanian minnows really improve you as a footballer? None of this will matter of course if Blackburn refuse to sell the flamboyant winger, but as Gareth Barry is trying his utmost to prove, all the power is with the player these days. Whatever Bentley decides he will either become the next small-scale Le Tissier (by staying at a club for too long), the next Wright-Phillips, or the next England number 7.