Source: Team_Talk
Venables: Bent must take WC chance
Former England boss Terry Venables is urging Sunderland striker Darren Bent to take his World Cup chance with both hands.[LNB] The 26-year-old has enjoyed a fine season with his new club, scoring 24 Premier League goals from a total of 25 for the campaign to mark his emergence from a difficult spell at Tottenham.[LNB]But now the £10million man faces an even bigger challenge, that of forcing his way into Fabio Capello's 23-man squad as the Italian prepares to cut his initial party of 30 ahead of the June 1 deadline.[LNB]He will hope for a chance to do just that in Monday's friendly clash with Mexico and the final warm-up game against Japan in Austria next Sunday and if he gets it, Venables has warned him not to pass up the opportunity.[LNB]He said: "Bent is a terrific goalscorer, but he's now got to be able to do that in the England team.[LNB]"He hasn't had much of a chance, to be fair, and when he has come in, he hasn't quite done it.[LNB]"You have got to look comfortable in that shirt, you have got to look like you are going to stick your chest out and say, 'This is for me', rather than looking nervous.[LNB]"But there's no doubt someone who has scored as many goals as he has scored has got to be seriously looked at, and they will be looking seriously at him."[LNB]Much of the speculation in recent weeks has centred around who will partner Wayne Rooney up front in South Africa, with Emile Heskey struggling to command a regular place in the starting line-up at Aston Villa as the season drew to a close and Peter Crouch, Jermain Defoe and Bent hungrily eyeing his place.[LNB]But Venables, who paired up Alan Shearer and Teddy Sheringham to great effect in the England team which fell just short at Euro 96, knows Capello's decision with his strikers is as much about how his frontmen work in partnership as their individual contributions.[LNB]He said: "In '96, we were fortunate that we had Shearer and Sheringham, who were not only great individuals, but terrific as a pair.[LNB]"But people don't always remember we also had Les Ferdinand and Robbie Fowler underneath that, and they were also excellent players."
