David Bentley: “I’ve fallen out of love with football”

Hands up those of you who recall David Bentley being labelled as potentially “the new David Beckham” by the then England manager Steve McClaren.

The one time bright hope of the English game has retired at the tender age of 29. He’s off to run full time his bar and restaurant business on the Costa del Sol.

His football career began at Arsenal but his best days were across north London at White Hart Lane. Bentley made 42 appearances for Tottenham. He went on loan to a succession of clubs including Blackburn Rovers, West Ham United and Birmingham City.

He says the game has become “robotic and boring.”

Bentley had a chequered career in English football. One moment brilliant, the next firing blanks and courting controversy off the pitch. He made 7 appearances for the national team after scoring 4 goals in 8 games for the Under 21’s. But his international career floundered.

He says: “I’ve fallen out of love with the game. The social media and the money have made it boring, predictable and a bit too calculated.”

His business called ‘La Sala’ is based in southern Spain and among the shareholders are England players Raheem Sterling and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Did you see Bentley play live? Was he as good as he was once billed as being?

Let me know if England lost out on a true talent and, if so, what went wrong? Use the ‘Speak Your Mind’ section below.