Darren Bent has been a real tweet for Sunderland and fully deserves his England chance

By Simon Bird

Published 11:56 09/11/09

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Darren Bent deserves his England call up. In fact, it is a few months too late.

Bent has been a hugely refreshing addition to the North East, and he has engaged with Sunderland fans like no other signing I can remember.

The 25-year-old has kept his 16,000 Twitter followers up to date with his daily goings on, including Newcastle fans mooning at him, how he can’t sleep at night because he needs curtains up at his flat, and how he loves Weetabix and basketball.

Sensibly his new club have embraced his Twitter account, rather than fearing it will lead to a repeat of his outburst at Spurs chief Daniel Levy in the summer.

The portrait that has come across from his tweeting is a charming lad, serious about his football and committed to life up north. And that footballers have a lot of time on their hands!

His performances have shown he has grown up as a footballer since the dark day at Spurs when Harry Redknapp disrespected his talent and publicly mocked his finishing.

Bent is now all smiles on and off the pitch, his work rate off the ball is colossal, and he is the Premier League’s top English goal scorer.

He has kept his head down when snubbed for previous matches, and it is only right now that Fabio Capello has decided he deserves a chance against Brazil at the weekend.

England insiders say that Bent is fighting it out with Gabby Agbonlahor for the fifth striking berth in Capello’s World Cup squad, but I’d put him higher in the pecking order.

Bent is proving that strikers need a manager who believes. He is proving that modern footballers can stay in touch with fans if they make the effort.

And he has at last got the showcase his talent deserves...  for club AND country.

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