Source: Eurosport
Bent bemoans Tottenham politics
SUNDERLAND, England (AFP) - Sunderland new-boy Darren Bent admits he was relieved to quit Tottenham because he had become disillusioned with life at White Hart Lane.
Bent, 25, joined Sunderland for a club record 10 million pounds (17 million dollars) after protracted negotiations with Tottenham were finally concluded this week.
The England striker had been desperate to get away after enduring a traumatic two-year spell in north London, which saw him criticised by boss Harry Redknapp and often dropped when the team struggled.
"I would say maybe my career stayed still at Tottenham but the second season I still scored a lot of goals. It may have been a hard two years for me but I had to grow up as a person and a player," Bent said.
"There's a lot of politics at Tottenham, but that's Tottenham as a club. I'm a Sunderland player now and it seems a lot more relaxed here.
"I think just not playing on a regular basis was the problem. You play one week and maybe score a couple of goals and you still don't know if you are going to be playing the following week.
"As a forward it's hard thinking like that. Tottenham can be an unsettling place to be. They sell strikers then they buy them back, and they are linked with every striker under the sun.
"That's for them now, I've managed to get out there, those times are behind me and I'm a Sunderland player now."
Bent's determination to join Steve Bruce's side was such that last week he used his Twitter account to launch a tirade against Spurs chairman Daniel Levy, accusing him of holding up the move to Sunderland.
"In the long run it seems like it has helped but at the same time I was disappointed at the way it came out," Bent added.
"Normally we tend to keep our mouths shut and everybody does the talking around us. I just wanted to come to Sunderland."
Redknapp opted not to get involved in a war of words with Bent when asked about the former Charlton star's comments.
"I don't know what he means," Redknapp said. "I don't think he needs to be critical of the boardroom at Tottenham. He's a good player and I had no problem with him.
"He worked hard. This game is a game of opinions and I decided to change things around. He's got a good move and I hope it goes well for him."
