Bentley wants to be ´positive effect´

David Bentley hopes he can fire himself back into the England squad after joining Birmingham City on-loan until the end of the season.

Bentley has been on the fringes at Tottenham Hotspur this season and made the move to St Andrews in a bid to increase his first-team opportunities.

The 26-year-old, who began his career at Arsenal before joining Blackburn Rovers and then Spurs, made his England debut in 2007.

But he has since won just seven caps for the national team and is hoping a regular starting berth will revive his stalled international career.

“It’s been a difficult time for me over the last two years and I’ve found it hard at times not being involved,” Bentley said.

“It has been difficult. Now I’ve just got to pull my socks up, work hard and try and get back at it.”

“I found myself out of the team at Tottenham and there are so many great players there. They’ve got some of the best players in the league there.”

“I found myself in a difficult position. But I have learned form that and I want to move on. I want to have a positive effect on Birmingham.”

“England is an aim now – when I went to Tottenham I was in the England squad but it’s just the way football goes at times.”

Bentley could make his Birmingham debut against arch-rivals Aston Villa on Sunday and his new boss Alex McLeish is hoping the midfielder can act as a provider for the team’s goal-shy strikers.

“We want a bit of creativity in the front areas and David can bring that quality,” McLeish said.

“It was a pretty smooth deal. We know there were other suitors and we’re glad to get him.”

“We want to see him resurrect his career here at Birmingham. He has come here saying the right things and I’m looking forward to him showing us.”

The derby may come too soon for Bentley to start the match, but McLeish has confirmed he will go straight into the squad.

The Scotsman’s only new fitness concern is defender Scott Dann, who picked up a hamstring injury during Tuesday’s 2-1 Carling Cup defeat to West Ham.