Blackburn's claim to have bought a Rolls Bentley

At Arsenal, David Bentley never got the chance to show his true worth. The competition for first-team places at the north London club was very fierce, something Bentley was not willing to wait for. 

Although only a youngster, he felt it necessary to try and develop his game away from the Gunners and push for a regular first-team place at a different club. Mark Hughes saw the potential in the youth and Bentley saw the ambition of Blackburn Rovers.

At first Hughes, took the London boy on loan near the end of the of 2006 campaign, and due to his impressive displays Blackburn bought Bentley outright during the same summer. In 2007 the young midfielder was a regular in the Rovers line-up, not only scoring regularly but also assisting the clubs strikers with quality free-kicks and crosses, adding a sense of creativity to the starting eleven and in turn developing himself into a top-class player. 

He has now played more than 120 matches in his Blackburn career, scoring a credible 21 goals, and not only helped them reach the UEFA Cup this season but also always shows a high level of determination when playing against the best players in the Premier League. And he is still only 23! 

This season Bentley is the 3rd highest goalscorer for his team and tops the list for number of assists. Only Brad Freidel has played more matches for his club this season. Bentley has been given free range to try shots on goal and some have paid off to good effect. He is not afraid to try his luck and has skill to beat the very best goalies with his well-placed free-kicks.

He has been likened to David Beckham by former England boss Steve McClaren. However, by refusing to play in the Euro Under-21 championships with his national side, Bentley was ridiculed by many as not taking his country seriously. In fact, he was fatigued and wanted to be ready for the season ahead with his club. 

Now England have a new coach, Bentley seems destined to have a long international career and made his full debut as a senior player this season. Once Beckham finally decides to retire from international football, at least England can be assured of a fine replacement with his namesake.

How long Blackburn can keep hold of this talented 23-year-old is anybody's guess. Although I'm sure he is happy at Ewood Park under the guidance of Mark Hughes, there must be a lingering thought in his mind what life would have been like at Arsenal or another world-class team.

He still has plenty of years ahead but has had the media talking about his heroics in the past 12 months. Bentley would be helped in his decisons about where he wants to play if Blackburn can consistently playing in Europe. This season they still have a slim chance of a UEFA cup place or, more realistically, a place in the Intertoto Cup during the summer months.