VIDEO: Bent focused on 'number nine'
By Nicholas Veevers
Wednesday, 01 June, 2011
Striker's only concern at the moment lies with Saturday's game.
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England striker Darren Bent says that his focus is firmly set on picking up more caps and goals for the Three Lions as he looks to firmly establish himself in Fabio Capello’s team.
The Aston Villa man has been in good form for both club and country since the turn of the year and just wants to keep going as England prepare to host Switzerland at Wembley on Saturday.
“People keep asking me if I’m established with England yet, but all I can keep doing is doing what I’m doing and if the Manager selects me then I must be doing something right,” he admitted.
“I don’t feel too much pressure, I’ve played in the last couple of games and scored a couple of goals so I just want to go out there, play as well as I can and hopefully England will win.”
Whilst Switzerland travel to England later in the week for the match, most eyes have been on events in Zurich for the going-ons with FIFA over the last couple of days which has perhaps taken the spotlight away from Capello’s squad and their preparations.
However, Bent says what happens concerning FIFA and its Congress hasn’t proved too much of a distraction to himself and the rest of the squad.
“To be fair, we don’t really know what’s going on with FIFA,” he admitted. “I keep seeing the guy’s (Sepp Blatter) face on the front of the paper, but for me, Saturday is a massive game.
“I want to play as many games for England as I can, to try and establish myself as England’s number nine so that’s all I’m thinking of at the moment.
“I’m not concerned with what’s going on elsewhere. All of the guys in the squad are the same and focused. We’ve done well in qualifying so far and we want to continue, so there’s no reason we can’t do that on Saturday.”
Bent finished the season well at Villa Park after his January move from Sunderland, so he believes his form there has aided him on the international front too.
“It’s gone really well for me at Villa and I’m enjoying it,” admitted the former Ipswich, Spurs and Charlton man.
“I don’t feel as though I’m doing anything different there to be honest and I’m not trying to do anything different as a player, apart from score as many goals as I can and play as well as I can.
“I read the Manager (Capello) said that I’d improved, but I’m just trying to get as many goals as I can and hopefully I can do that again this weekend and England can win.”
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