Gray: Bent owes Villa loyalty

08 January 2012 11:16

Former Aston Villa striker Andy Gray says it will be "insulting to the fans and the club" if record signing Darren Bent looks to quit during the January transfer window.

Bent has been the subject of speculation linking him with a move to Liverpool even though the striker and Villa boss Alex McLeish have insisted he is going nowhere. Gray believes Bent needs to show loyalty to Villa and has to start producing the goal-power which has failed to match last season's achievements.

Gray, writing in his Birmingham Sunday Mercury column, said: "Talk about Darren Bent seeking a new challenge away from Villa Park in the January transfer window is not right in my opinion."

He added: "It has only been a year since Darren signed for big bucks from Sunderland and moved to Villa.

"Sorry, he shouldn't be thinking of going elsewhere. It's insulting to the fans and the club.

"My advice to Darren would be to just get on with it this season because he hasn't been his usual prolific self and he owes Villa more times and more goals, that's for sure."

Gray added: "Darren signed a four-and-a-half-year deal and Villa will undoubtedly be paying him a lot of money for his services.

"Just because things aren't going completely your way at the moment, that is no reason to start sulking and thinking about upping sticks.

"He needs to keep his head up, start scoring more goals. He needs to stop thinking about leaving.

"The club has had a difficult season and it has not been helped by a lack of goals from Darren."

Source: PA