Bent eyes Boro start

Spurs striker hopes for first XI role at The Riverside

By Peter Fraser   Last updated: 3rd August 2008

Bent eyes Boro start

Bent: Good week

Bent has been on fire. He has been the best striker in pre-season.

Gustavo Poyet
Quotes of the week

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Tottenham striker Darren Bent is ready to take his impressive pre-season form into the new Premier League campaign.

The forward netted his ninth goal in the space of a week and his 11th of pre-season as he helped Spurs win the Feyenoord Jubilee Tournament with a 3-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund on Sunday.

And with Robbie Keane having departed for Liverpool and doubts surrounding the future of Dimitar Berbatov, Bent insists he is happy to step into the fold, if called upon by manager Juande Ramos.

Tottenham kick-off their 2008/09 Premier League season at Middlesbrough on 16th August and Bent, who came in for criticism last season as he struggled following a £16.5million move from Charlton, is hoping to feature.

"It is always nice find the back of the net, but obviously the real work starts at Middlesbrough in a couple of weeks," he told Sky Sports News.

Poyet praise

"It has been a good pre-season and if I'm called on for the first game of the season, I'll be ready."

Meanwhile Tottenham assistant manager Gustavo Poyet has hinted that Bent could be in line for a place in the first XI at The Riverside.

"He has been on fire," Poyet added. "We keep saying to him, 'don't spend all the goals in pre-season, keep a few for the season'.

"But it is good. Strikers need to score goals. He didn't play a lot last year, but he is playing week in, week out now."

And when asked if Bent could start against Boro, Poyet added: "Why not? He has been the best striker (in pre-season). He has got a chance."