Darren will be hell-Bent for Spurs, says Jenas

Aston Villa striker Darren Bent will not be lacking in motivation when he faces former team Tottenham on Monday, believes Jermaine Jenas.

Midfielder Jenas is ineligible for the match as he is on loan at Villa from English Premier League rivals Spurs, but England forward Bent – who spent two seasons at Tottenham – will be available to play at White Hart Lane on Monday.

The 27-year-old endured a difficult spell at Tottenham and eventually forced through a move to Sunderland, before shifting to Villa in January for a move that could cost the club 24 million pounds.

Since leaving Spurs, he has gone on to establish himself for his country, and Jenas feels he will be particularly looking forward to playing his former club.

“I wouldn’t say he has something to prove (against Spurs) but everyone wants to do well when they go back to one of their old clubs,” Jenas told The Guardian.

“I am sure he will want to go to White Hart Lane and want to score.”

Bent signed for Tottenham in a 16.5 million-pound transfer from Charlton in June 2007 but had a strained relationship with the club and manager Harry Redknapp, who once remarked that his wife could have scored a chance the striker missed.

Bent also clashed with chairman Daniel Levy before leaving.

“I think the way that Darren left Spurs probably wasn’t the way he wanted to leave but it was the right move for him and his career,” Jenas said.

“I don’t think it affected him at Sunderland because he went there and started banging in the goals. Darren rates himself and knows how good he is as an individual so it is just up to him to keep doing it.”

Bent has now scored 96 Premier League goals, which only Wayne Rooney has bettered over the last seven seasons. But Jenas believes he has only now gained the recognition he deserves.

“He has consistently scored goals wherever he has been and does he get enough credit for it? Probably not. I think he turned his career around,” he said.

“At one point perhaps people looked at him as a bit of a hit-and-miss type striker but he is prolific now, it’s as simple as that. No-one can question his goals-to-games ratio.”