Bent’s son signs for Sky Blues ... aged 8
COVENTRY City have signed the son of a former prolific Premier League and England striker.
Darren Bent, who enjoyed an impressive career at the highest level with clubs including Tottenham, Sunderland and Aston Villa, scoring 131 goals in 276 top-flight appearances, has revealed that his boy has joined the Sky Blues Academy.
The news was broken live on TALKSPORT during the national radio station’s afternoon ‘Drive with Andy Goldstein and Darren Bent’ show.
Goldstein told the listeners: “Noone on this planet has got this news. What have you got for us (Darren)?
Co-host Bent replied: “My little boy has signed for Coventry.” Goldstein said: “That’s amazing! He’s eight years old and he’s just signed for Coventry. How exciting is that!”
Asked how proud he is, Bent continued: “Ah, mate. I can’t lie to you, a tear nearly came down my face when I told him and he was jumping up and down. I’m so proud.”
Asked by Goldstein if he has any connection to the Sky Blues, he said: “None what-so-ever.”
Bent, who is understood to live in the Rugby area, started his career at Ipswich Town as a teenager, going on to play for the Tractor Boys in the Premier League and Championship before returning to the top flight with Charlton, Tottenham, Sunderland, Aston Villa and Fulham and then spells at Brighton, Derby County and
Burton Albion. Overall he scored 179 goals in 486 career league appearances, earning 13 England caps and scoring four goals for his country.
He says his son is a striker, who “scores lots of goals,” though he said he had no idea whether he would make the grade down the line.
“Listen, I have seen kids at eight years old have all the attributes in the world and by the time they get to 15 they completely fall off,” he said. “But I have also seen the kid who at eight years old can’t even tie his shoelaces together and they get to 15 and they are incredible. It’s almost like something drops, and all of a sudden they start doing things.”
Goldstein asked: “Which one were you?”
Bent said: “I was the latter, at eight years old I couldn’t tie my shoelaces together. I went to Ipswich at 14 by the way, which is late. ”
Goldstein: “Does your boy want it as much as you did? The reason I ask is that I have heard that one of the problems nowadays is that with kids there are so many things that take away the attention of playing football. Even from playing football in the backyard, kicking the ball up against the wall.”
Bent: “He’s always out there. Listen, he loves the ipad and Playstation but he’s always out there. I was the same, my mum used to have to drag me in. We have to get him in as well because at every given moment he’s out there playing football. In the house, he’s cracking balls about the house.”