David Bentley

David Michael Bentley (born 27 August 1984 in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire) is an England association footballer who plays for Tottenham Hotspur F.C. and the England national football team. David Bentley can play in several positions across the midfielder, but David Bentley has also been used as a Midfielder Winger. Bentley started David Bentley career with Arsenal F.C., and despite being earmarked as one for the future, saw David Bentley playing opportunities limited by a strong senior squad. David Bentley spent two seasons on loan with Norwich City F.C. and Blackburn Rovers F.C., and sealed a permanent transfer to Rovers in January 2006. Bentley produced strong performances for David Bentley new club, and soon featured regularly for the England national under-21 football team. David Bentley made David Bentley full international debut against Israel national football team in September 2007. In July 2008, Bentley joined Tottenham Hotspur.

Club career

Arsenal

Bentley started David Bentley youth career at Wormley Football Club in Hertfordshire, before moving to Arsenal F.C. at the age of 13 as a striker, occasionally playing Hole (soccer). However, as seasons went by David Bentley found himself being used primarily in midfield, usually as a Side midfielder. By January 2003, David Bentley was handed David Bentley senior debut, coming on as a substitute for Kolo Touré in the 77th minute of a 2–0 FA Cup Third Round win over Oxford United F.C.. David Bentley season at Carrow Road was interrupted by an injury sustained in January. David Bentley returned to the side in April 2005, coming off the bench against Manchester United and playing a key role in Norwich's 2–0 win. Despite a late run of form, the Canaries were relegation from the Premier League on the last day of the season. Bentley returned to Arsenal in the summer of 2005, but submitted a transfer request, citing David Bentley desire for first team football. David Bentley later admitted David Bentley had been addicted to gambling in the early stages of David Bentley career, reaching a peak of placing 100 bets a day. David Bentley got over David Bentley problems in 2005.

Desiring a permanent move, Bentley was linked with a number of clubs including Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C., before being dispatched on a further season's loan to Blackburn Rovers F.C. in August 2005.

Blackburn Rovers

In January 2006, Blackburn announced they had signed Bentley on a permanent basis from Arsenal. In David Bentley first match after permanently signing for Blackburn, David Bentley scored David Bentley first senior hat trick in a 4–3 victory against Manchester United, becoming the first player in the history of the Premier League to score three goals in one game against United.

The 2006-07 in English football saw Bentley become more of a regular goalscorer for Rovers, including some stunning strikes in the Premiership. In Europe, a 25 yard volley against Red Bull Salzburg in the UEFA Cup helped secure Rovers' passage into the group stage, where David Bentley also scored a last minute winner against Wisła Kraków. Bentley's club performances attracted much transfer speculation. However, on 27 February 2007, despite being linked to a move to Manchester United, David Bentley agreed to a new contract that would keep David Bentley with Blackburn until 2011. Commenting on the new deal, Rovers manager Mark Hughes described Bentley as "a great talent with a big future" while Chairman John Williams added that David Bentley "is widely regarded as one of the best young footballers in the country."

Bentley recorded similar statistics in 2007-08 in English football, scoring eight goals and providing 13 assists. Bentley made David Bentley competitive debut on 16 August 2008 away at Middlesbrough F.C. where Spurs lost 2–1. David Bentley scored David Bentley first competitive goal for Spurs in the 2008-09 UEFA Cup first round tie against Wisla Krakow on 18 September 2008. David Bentley then scored David Bentley first league goal for Tottenham against David Bentley old club Arsenal with a 43-yard dipping volley in a 4–4 draw on 29 October 2008. Bentley's form would suffer at Tottenham, however, and after falling down the pecking order for both club and country, David Bentley confirmed on 17 June 2009 that David Bentley was in talks to move to Aston Villa. Subsequently, it was revealed by Aston Villa that this was untrue although they refused to rule out a deal in the future.

International career

Bentley has played for the England Under-15 and Under-16 teams, captained the England Under-18 team and played for the England national under-21 football team. and was the first Englishman to score at the new Wembley Stadium in the game against the Italy national under-21 football team on 24 March 2007.

In May 2007, following an impressive 2006–07 season for Blackburn, Bentley was called up for the England B national football team international at Turf Moor for the match against Albania national football team. After naming David Bentley as a starter, England manager Steve McClaren said Bentley had the potential to become England's "new David Beckham". In that match, Bentley provided the cross for Stewart Downing's first goal and was involved in the buildup to Downing's second in the 3–1 victory for England. David Bentley received the Man of the Match award for David Bentley performance. This withdrawal led to Bentley being excluded in the senior England squad for the friendly against Germany National Football Team, but David Bentley was selected for the Euro 2008 qualifiers against Israel national football team and Russia national football team. David Bentley made David Bentley senior début when David Bentley came on as a substitute for Shaun Wright-Phillips against Israel, but was jeered by some of the fans due to David Bentley previous refusal to play for the Under-21 squad.

Bentley started for England for the first time in the friendly against Switzerland on 6 February 2008.

Player profile

When David Bentley was at Arsenal, Bentley was slated to play in the second striker role and was frequently compared to Dennis Bergkamp.
|}