bomberH
Well-Known Member
- Jun 4, 2005
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http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/aug/16/tottenham-hotspur-david-bentley-harry-redknapp
Harry Redknapp has told David Bentley to temper his flashy social life and stop pretending to be David Beckham, or face the ruin of his already faltering career. The Tottenham manager remains furious at Bentley for his arrest in the small hours of Thursday morning for drink-driving as he tried to make his way home after a music gig in London, and he has urged those around the 24-year-old to advise him to re-focus on his football.
Bentley, who has invested in a bar in the upmarket Spanish resort of Puerto Banus and who has been scouting for bands to play there, was billed as England's next big thing; the heir apparent to Beckham at right-midfield. Bentley was not slow to market himself as such. Upon breaking into the England team, he had a DB7 slogan stitched on to his St George's Cross boots while his agent explored the possibility of commercial deals.
Yet, 12 months after his £15m move from Blackburn to Tottenham, Bentley has lost his place at club and international level and he has also gained unwanted attention off the pitch. He was fortunate that his Porsche collided with only a lamp-post at 3am on Thursday. Bentley has been charged and bailed to appear at St Alban's Magistrates' Court on 28 August.
"He needs to lose this image that has grown around him in the last year or so and what's happened now doesn't help him," says Redknapp, who is preparing for the visit of Liverpool to White Hart Lane this afternoon. "He needs to lose that tag of 'he's another Beckham'. He's not Beckham, he's David Bentley. I'll be honest, the lads call him Becks and I don't think that helps him.
"I can see an awful lot the way he has modelled himself on Beckham, but he needs to be himself and develop his own personality with the way he plays football. He doesn't need to model himself on anyone. He needs good advice. Whoever looks after him – he's involved with him off the field as well – I think needs to be giving him good advice. He doesn't need to be involved in nightclubs in Spain or whatever. The advice he needs from a good agent is 'Concentrate on your football, David'."
With Aaron Lennon and even Kyle Naughton, the summer signing from Sheffield United, seemingly ahead of Bentley in the pecking order, Tottenham would consider an offer for him, although Redknapp insists that none had been forthcoming as yet. One of the obstacles to a potential transfer would be the club's desire to recoup their outlay. But Redknapp says that he has not ruled out rehabilitating Bentley.
"David's said that this has given him a wake-up call. That, maybe in a way, it's the best thing that's happened to him. But talk is cheap, so let's hope the penny drops with him," he says. "He needs to look at Luka Modric, who just gets on with his job."
For Redknapp, the mere mention of drink-driving stirs terrible memories. During the 1990 World Cup in Italy he was involved in a car crash that killed five people, among them his close friend and then colleague at Bournemouth, Brian Tiler. "It was because a 17-year-old kid who was driving the other car was drunk," says Redknapp. "You can't do it and these footballers, they shouldn't be doing it. David's made a big mistake and he was lucky that he hit a lamp-post. He could have hit somebody."
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:lol: @ the bold bit. This incident aside, i sort of feel sorry for him. He obviously wants to be Beckham and everyone around him is probably telling him he's Beckham, but he's nowhere near the standard Beckham was at his age. He needs to really knuckle down at Spurs and come back and be the player he was at Blackburn. He's got the personality and the talent to become a fans favourite, he just needs to sort it all out cos both are missing at the moment.
I think he'll leave, but i hope he stays and proves everyone wrong.
Harry Redknapp has told David Bentley to temper his flashy social life and stop pretending to be David Beckham, or face the ruin of his already faltering career. The Tottenham manager remains furious at Bentley for his arrest in the small hours of Thursday morning for drink-driving as he tried to make his way home after a music gig in London, and he has urged those around the 24-year-old to advise him to re-focus on his football.
Bentley, who has invested in a bar in the upmarket Spanish resort of Puerto Banus and who has been scouting for bands to play there, was billed as England's next big thing; the heir apparent to Beckham at right-midfield. Bentley was not slow to market himself as such. Upon breaking into the England team, he had a DB7 slogan stitched on to his St George's Cross boots while his agent explored the possibility of commercial deals.
Yet, 12 months after his £15m move from Blackburn to Tottenham, Bentley has lost his place at club and international level and he has also gained unwanted attention off the pitch. He was fortunate that his Porsche collided with only a lamp-post at 3am on Thursday. Bentley has been charged and bailed to appear at St Alban's Magistrates' Court on 28 August.
"He needs to lose this image that has grown around him in the last year or so and what's happened now doesn't help him," says Redknapp, who is preparing for the visit of Liverpool to White Hart Lane this afternoon. "He needs to lose that tag of 'he's another Beckham'. He's not Beckham, he's David Bentley. I'll be honest, the lads call him Becks and I don't think that helps him.
"I can see an awful lot the way he has modelled himself on Beckham, but he needs to be himself and develop his own personality with the way he plays football. He doesn't need to model himself on anyone. He needs good advice. Whoever looks after him – he's involved with him off the field as well – I think needs to be giving him good advice. He doesn't need to be involved in nightclubs in Spain or whatever. The advice he needs from a good agent is 'Concentrate on your football, David'."
With Aaron Lennon and even Kyle Naughton, the summer signing from Sheffield United, seemingly ahead of Bentley in the pecking order, Tottenham would consider an offer for him, although Redknapp insists that none had been forthcoming as yet. One of the obstacles to a potential transfer would be the club's desire to recoup their outlay. But Redknapp says that he has not ruled out rehabilitating Bentley.
"David's said that this has given him a wake-up call. That, maybe in a way, it's the best thing that's happened to him. But talk is cheap, so let's hope the penny drops with him," he says. "He needs to look at Luka Modric, who just gets on with his job."
For Redknapp, the mere mention of drink-driving stirs terrible memories. During the 1990 World Cup in Italy he was involved in a car crash that killed five people, among them his close friend and then colleague at Bournemouth, Brian Tiler. "It was because a 17-year-old kid who was driving the other car was drunk," says Redknapp. "You can't do it and these footballers, they shouldn't be doing it. David's made a big mistake and he was lucky that he hit a lamp-post. He could have hit somebody."
-----------------------
:lol: @ the bold bit. This incident aside, i sort of feel sorry for him. He obviously wants to be Beckham and everyone around him is probably telling him he's Beckham, but he's nowhere near the standard Beckham was at his age. He needs to really knuckle down at Spurs and come back and be the player he was at Blackburn. He's got the personality and the talent to become a fans favourite, he just needs to sort it all out cos both are missing at the moment.
I think he'll leave, but i hope he stays and proves everyone wrong.
