Bentley is on the road to Villa

Aston Villa are ready to rescue David Bentley from another season on the sidelines at Tottenham.

Villa boss Martin O’Neill is plotting a third attempt to sign the 25-year-old as he looks at midfield options if he can’t keep World Cup star James Milner.

Bentley, once considered the natural England heir to David Beckham, has lost his way at White Hart Lane since a £16million move two years ago.

He fell out with boss Harry Redknapp and, though he forced his way back into the team at the end of the season, sources say he didn’t help himself by pouring a bucket of water over the Tottenham manager live on TV during celebrations for the club reaching the Champions League.

Redknapp cracked a joke while working as a World Cup pundit that he might be tempted to swap Bentley for Japan’s Honda, and word is that was only half in jest.

Bentley himself said recently: “I’m at Tottenham at the minute, but let’s see what happens.”

O’Neill was outbid by Spurs when they bought Bentley from Blackburn two years ago, and backed away from a second deal last summer because Tottenham wanted their money back.

But this summer Spurs would take a cut-price £8m and O’Neill believes he could promise a player who started only 11 Premier League games this term the chance to recover his form.

Birmingham and Stoke will also watch the situation, but can’t compete for wages – or the attraction of Europa League football – if O’Neill follows up his interest.

Bentley won his seven international caps wide on the right, but Villa remember how Mark Hughes used him successfully in central midfield at Blackburn and believe they could help him make the same impact by switching again – as Milner did last season.

Manchester City target Milner was given extra time off after the World Cup where he was one of the few England players to enhance his reputation, and his future will not be sorted until after he returns to training on July 25.