David Bentley was named the next David Beckham when he moved to Tottenham Hotspur but he never quite came close.

He was the first man to score a hat trick against the league giants Manchester United in the Premier League era and he was the first to score at the new Wembley Stadium for England.

He was an Englishman that was praised for dominating the Russian Premier League where others suffered bad luck. He was quite an achiever and a man of many firsts. His 40-yard volley in the north London derby stands out, but then the shocking retirement at 29 years?!

Bentley saw upclose the Invincibles’ squad in 2003 at Arsenal. He got few minutes in the FA Cup in a star studded team that had his mentor Dennis Bergkamp, Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira. He was a very confident player from a young age and he showed so much promise.

He went on loan to Norwich City the following year. Despite the team been relegated that year, the player stood out. He flourished on his next loan assignment at Blackburn Rovers under coach Mark Hughes, who eventually signed him permanently. Bentley repaid the faith instantly with a hat trick in the 4-3 victory over United. He soared in the international scene where he scored a free kick for the Under-21 team against Italy. Read More

Former Arsenal player David Bentley believes that Arsenal can benefit from the fact that they are not in the Champions League to mount a serious push for the title.

He said that there are many teams that have benefited from not being involved in the top European competition and he feels that Arsenal can do the same next season.

However, he admitted that the team might suffer if ever Alexis Sanchez leaves the team. He said that he has been their talisman in the past seasons and that he is a player that will be hard to replace. For him, if the Gunners want to win the title they will need to hold on to the Chilean for as long as they can.

David Bentley who also played for Spurs said that at the moment he feels that Tottenham Hotspurs is a better team than Arsenal and that they will be a greater threat for Chelsea’s title. Read More