Bruce And Bent On His England Recall

Bruce ‘Over The Moon’ For Darren

From Vital England:

Darren Bent has been tipped for an England recall all season so far, and despite scoring a decent number of goals and playing well this season the recall had not come – until last weekend when Fabio Capello drafted the Sunderland striker in for the friendly against Brazil on Saturday…

This recall is something that his Sunderland manager Steve Bruce, as he explained to the official Sunderland website, feels he has totally merited: ‘Darren is a top lad with an immaculate work-rate on and off the pitch and it’s a testament to his record and attitude that Mr Capello has decided to add him to the squad.

‘If you look at the number and type of goals he’s scored this season, it shows what a well-rounded player he is.’

Bruce also feels that he has a ‘big future’ ahead of him for his club: ‘when we first signed him, I was amazed at his natural ability in front of goal and said to myself ‘this lad’s going to be a top player for this club, that’s for sure’.’

Several times this season, as said, the striker looked destined for a place in Capello’s squad, although each time he was overlooked – the most recent games against Ukraine and Belarus, when Jermain Defoe missed out, were thought to be his big chance but it never came, with some thinking that ‘might’ have been his final chance to stake a claim for a world cup place.

But come along it has…

Bruce has also praised him for not letting the lack of a call get top him and is ‘over the moon’ to see this call finally come: ‘the fact he’s kept going after not making other squads shows the type of lad he is – I’m absolutely over the moon for him.’

Read the full article: England – Over the moon!.

==========

Bent Says ‘I’m Really Happy To Be Back’

From Vital England:

Sunderland manager Steve Bruce had already expressed his happiness at Darren Bent’s England recall, well in fact he said he was ‘over the moon’, and now Bent himself has also revealed his ‘delight’ at this.

He has told the official Sunderland website that he feels he is playing better now than he was when Fabio Capello last called on him, when we played and beat Germany in Germany, but is just happy to be back in contention: ‘I do think I’m playing better now and I’m really happy to be back in the England set up.

‘Steve Bruce rang me when he found out I’d been called up and he had some nice words for me. That means a lot.

Wayne Rooney is almost certain to be one of the strikers, playing in a deeper role off the front man, that Capello uses and Bent hopes that he can get the chance to play alongside him and start to build up a ‘partnership’ with him: ‘it would be great to play alongside Wayne and hopefully we can start up a partnership.

Whatever happens though bent is ‘confident’ that England can beat Brazil and is just ‘looking forward’ to is it.

Read the full article: England – I’m really happy to be back.