Expert Blogs

Trying to make Capello take notice

The Sunderland striker is doing his utmost to make a case for inclusion in Capello's 23-man party. As English soccer launches into a New Year and a new decade, Bent is second only to Wayne Rooney, Jermaine Defoe and Didier Drogba on the English Premier League scoring chart.

Bent has tallied 13 EPL goals in 20 appearances this season and is rediscovering the form that led to a record-breaking move from Charlton to Tottenham two and a half years ago. Any English player averaging more than a goal every two Premiership games must be on the coach's radar.

Capello will probably take four, maybe five strikers to South Africa, so why is Bent's name only being mentioned in a peripheral sense? The 25 year old clearly knows how to score goals on a regular basis at a high level but it seems he's still on the doorstep, fumbling with an ill-fitting key.

Bent has been given opportunities by Capello but has yet to make the leap from club soccer to the international scene. He was an outstanding prospect for England's Under-21's but has yet to score in five senior appearances, though, in mitigation, he started only two of them.

Limited playing opportunities

You could argue Bent hasn't been given a fair crack of the whip to prove himself in an England jersey but the plain truth is that time is not on his side. England will have a maximum of three warm up games before the World Cup opener against the U.S. and Bent needs not only to play, but also probably to score.

There's no question Bent is behind Rooney, Defoe and probably Peter Crouch in the pecking order for England strikers and, in my opinion, only injury will prevent any of them making the squad. In theory, therefore, there remains a vacancy to be filled with several qualified candidates in the queue.

Emile Heskey and Michael Owen both have World Cup experience, yet both are currently confined to cameo roles at Aston Villa and Manchester United respectively. Gabby Agbonlahor and Carlton Cole are younger, more mobile options, but both lack playing time on the biggest stage.

Is he a big game player?

Bent's form this season is not the issue - the stats speak for themselves, but there is a concern he's not a 'big game' player. Not only has he failed to open his England account but endured two frustrating seasons at Spurs where the goals did not flow prompting a cut-price move to Wearside.   

Perhaps Bent is beginning to revise that reputation. With confidence restored, he has found the net against the 'Big Four' this season including game winners against Arsenal and Liverpool. He also scored in a 2-2 draw at Old Trafford and marked his home debut for Sunderland with the opener against Chelsea.

There's no reason to suspect Bent will not carry on in the New Year where he left off in 2009. At his current rate he will comfortably break the 20 League goal barrier for the first time in his professional career. No Sunderland player has achieved the feat since Kevin Phillips reached his zenith ten years ago.