Bruce backs Bent to bounce back

02 June 2010 12:28
Sunderland boss Steve Bruce is hoping Darren Bent's World Cup heartache will prove a bonus for the Black Cats.[LNB] The 26-year-old striker was one of the seven men left out of England boss Fabio Capello's final 23 as he missed out on a chance to prove himself on the big stage for the second time in his career.[LNB]Club manager Bruce championed his £10million signing's cause throughout a debut season on Wearside which brought him 25 goals, 24 of them in the Barclays Premier League.[LNB]But while he is disappointed for his player, he is hoping a summer of rest will see him return to the Stadium of Light ready to make his mark on the domestic scene all over again.[LNB]Bruce told the Sunderland Echo: "As his manager, you want Darren to go to the World Cup for his own sake.[LNB]"The way the lad played over the course of the season, I think he couldn't have made much of a stronger case for himself.[LNB]"But from a selfish point of view, England's loss would be Sunderland's gain.[LNB]"Darren not going would mean that he gets a proper summer's rest and he will hopefully come back to us physically and mentally refreshed.[LNB]"If you don't go to the World Cup after scoring that many goals and after scoring that many more than some of your rivals, well, I suppose you might feel you have to point to prove.[LNB]"What better incentive can you have for next season?".

Source: Team_Talk