Bruce: Capello should consider picking Darren Bent

Mar 10 2010 by Luke Edwards, The Journal

STEVE Bruce has urged Fabio Capello to reconsider the decision to drop Darren Bent after the striker scored a superb second-half hat-trick last night to secure Sunderland’s first league win in more than three months.

Bent bagged three predatory strikes against Bolton, after a goal inside the first minute from Fraizer Campbell, to bring an utterly convincing and comprehensive end to a run of 14 games without a victory.

Bruce said: “I know he was bitterly disappointed to be left out by England last week, but he could have scored six tonight. It is great for him. He has scored 18 goals this season in a team which is 13th in the Premier League and that is an unbelievable return.

“He is a natural goalscorer and we don’t have many of them, so I still think he could have a major say in the squad but it’s not up to me to decide.”

And, while there were plenty of nerves inside the Stadium of Light before Bent scored Sunderland’s second goal after 64 minutes, running on to a perfectly weighted pass from Lee Cattermole, Bruce was pleased with the quality of football on show.

he said: “I’m delighted for everybody concerned because it’s been a long time coming.

“It was a quite incredible start, to score after just 40 seconds, when we couldn’t buy a goal recently. That settled everybody down and we played some really good stuff after that.

“We should have had two or three before half-time but didn’t take the chances.