Birmingham City: Marcus Bent promises to deliver this season

Jul 31 2009 by Colin Tattum, Birmingham Mail

“Personally, I don’t think I played enough to get myself going,” he answered.

“But that’s just the way it worked out.

“We had a big squad and I, more than anyone, want to succeed and do better.

“Whether that means I’m going to be at the club or somewhere else, I don’t know.

“I have two years left and I signed for Birmingham because I want to play in the Premier League and help them there. That’s what we’ve achieved, we got promotion, and I’m looking forward to it.

“I don’t want to move anywhere else but I’m not going to shy away from anything that’s being said, by people or in the press, because football’s football, life’s life.

‘‘Right now I’m happy at Birmingham and I’m determined to show what I can do.”

Bent has plenty of Premier League experience and was a central cog in Everton’s success a couple of years back.

He said his and others’ experience would come in handy for Alex McLeish’s side.

Bent admitted he was delighted to have got Blues off the mark at Dagenham.

“I love scoring goals. I’m a forward’” he said.

“I’m big enough, ugly enough to deal with any criticism.

“I am just trying to work hard and give all I can and get myself into the side and into the Premier League where I know I can play and score goals.

“There is a lot of quality. The Premier League has got better and better.

“There are a lot more foreign players with technical skills and ability and we have got to stand up to that.

“Pre-season is to get fit. We know we have got enough ability in the side, enough youth and with the older players, I suppose like myself now, Kev Phillips, Lee Carsley and Barry Ferguson who has come in, we have got a mixture and hopefully it will do for the Premier League.”

Blues go to Nottingham Forest tomorrow (3pm) for their next warm-up match and a Blues XI are at Cheltenham Town on Sunday (3pm).

“Dagenham was a good performance as in passing and moving and finding our confidence and fitness,” said Bent.

“We won the game and Saturday will be a harder test, we will see how we deal with that.”