Having antagonised England fans over the summer with his withdrawal from the Under-21 team, David Bentley has emerged as one of the players of the season so far.

His build-up play was already at a high standard but, like Cesc Fabregas, he has added goals to his repertoire. Already this season he has scored more than he did last year and hitting double figures should be a certainty come May.

Although it is impossible to prove, Bentley's decision last summer may have been vindicated. Two of the stars of that Under-21 side, David Nugent and Leroy Lita, are barely getting a look-in at club level. Maybe fatigue at the beginning of the season has resulted in their slide down the pecking order at  Portsmouth and Reading respectively.

'Bentley, on the other hand, lacks such blistering speed but makes up for it with his accuracy with the ball (just ask Roque Santa Cruz and Benni McCarthy)'


Blackburn's form of late has been scratchy but in recent victories against Derby and Bolton, Bentley has been a  major force. Hopefully, either Fabio Capello or one of his scouts will have made serious note of these displays.

The right midfield of the England team is most certainly up for grabs. David Beckham will most certainly start, and captain the team, in a sentimental evening against Switzerland. But following that you would expect him to adopt a more ambassadorial role as his career winds down in the States.

Bentley's main rivals are Chelsea's Shaun Wright-Phillips and Tottenham's Aaron Lennon. Both, however, have the same strengths and weaknesses - immense pace and able to beat a man, but invariably the final product fails to deliver. Bentley, on the other hand, lacks such blistering speed but makes up for it with his accuracy with the ball (just ask  Roque Santa Cruz and Benni McCarthy).

Added to this is his ability with the dead ball, something England without Beckham tend to miss. One other bonus is that with Bentley on the right, Micah Richards will have more freedom to burst down the line, something he is unable to do as frequently when Wright-Phillips  or Lennon play ahead of him.

Bentley started his career as a striker with Arsenal but Arsene Wenger's decision to mould him into a right-sided midfielder will hopefully prove to be a major asset for England as they embark upon a rebuilding process following the travesty of the 2008 qualifying campaign.