Sunderland's Darren Bent 'too sensitive' claims Spurs boss Harry Redknapp

Harry Redknapp claims his infamous "missus" blast at Darren Bent ahead of the striker's return to White Hart Lane tomorrow reflected what thousands of TV viewers were thinking.

The Spurs boss famously declared his wife Sandra could have netted a sitter missed by Bent in the north Londoners' 1-1 draw with Portsmouth last season.

At the time Redknapp punched the air in frustration and held his head in disbelief in the match itself as Bent somehow contrived to steer the ball wide with the goal at his mercy.

And yet the jibe, in an interview afterwards rankled with Bent who now claims he was never wanted by Redknapp, the man who sold him to Sunderland for £16million this summer.

But Redknapp insisted Bent had been too sensitive. He said: "It's not something to worry about, no. When I said it, and it showed me on TV, I said 'Bloody hell, a woman could have scored that'.

"It wasn't just because it was Darren Bent. It could have been anyone. There were probably four million blokes sitting, watching TV that night and when they saw that thought 'cor blimey, a woman would have scored that'.

"That was all I said. After that, he played the League Cup final. I started him up front and I played him. I have no problem with Darren Bent.

"Players are more sensitive these days. In the dressing room years ago, if you had seen what people used to say and what they used to call you! But now it's all changed unfortunately.

"I didn't mean anything. Genuinely, he is a smashing lad, I've got no problems with Darren Bent and he's a good player. But £16m was good money for him that the chairman got back."

Asked the worst thing ever said about him by a manager, Redknapp added: "I can't remember. It was probably too bad to repeat!

"You don't worry about it, you just get on with life. If you worry about what people say about you every day then you wouldn't be able to go to sleep at night."

Bent's eight goals put him top of the English goalscorers in the Premier League. But Redknapp maintains he has no regrets about selling the striker and insists there was nothing personal about his decision.

He added: "I liked him as a player but I just felt that I had Pavlyuchenko and I brought Keane and Defoe in. So I had four strikers.

"I just felt that Crouch was different to any of the others and Darren was the one that we got the big, good offer for. A couple of clubs wanted him.

"Tony Pulis is a friend of mine at Stoke and I said to him 'Take him Tony, he'll score goals for you'. And Tony was interested in him.

"If I didn't fancy him, I would have said to Tony 'I wouldn't touch him'. I would tell him genuinely. You've got to be straight with people.

"I said 'take him, he's a good player, good movement, he'll score goals'. As soon as I came, I put him in the team."

Redknapp now believes Bent's scoring run - the former Charlton marksman has netted against Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United as part of his haul this season - puts him in contention for a World Cup place.

He went on: "He's got a chance. The striking positions are wide open. Rooney plus who else? I think Bent is lucky to be around when there aren't so many good strikers. We've got good strikers but we're not overloaded.

"I'm not sitting here at the moment saying we've got five world class strikers. Its a great opportunity for him. Rooney is world class in my opinion. Fantastic.

"After that we've got good strikers but its a toss up as to which other three or four he takes. And its all very close.

"Carlton Cole has been in terrific form. I think Crouchie's a must because he gives you something different. Defoe again, his goalscoring record for England puts him right there so its going to be close. But Darren's definitely in with a chance."

Tottenham never wanted me, admits Sunderland hot-shot Darren Bent