Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp insists David Bentley will remain at the club, despite fraught relations between the pair.
No Man City switch for midfielder
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp has played down talk linking midfielder David Bentley with a move away from the club.
Bentley arrived at White Hart Lane in 2008 and has made just 28 appearances since his £15m switch from Blackburn Rovers.
The winger has found opportunities this season difficult to come by, and after making just three league outings, speculation has mounted that he is ready to leave Spurs.
His future was thrown into more doubt when he and Redknapp were involved in a bust-up following a behind-closed-doors friendly match.
The Spurs boss denied suggestions the 25-year-old is about to join Manchester City - and insisted he still had a future at the club despite the row.
Redknapp said his omission from the squad for the defeat to Wolves was down to the player's performance in training.
"I left him out last week because he didn't train well," he explained.
"Normally he does because he's a good player in my opinion and a good pro but last week he wasn't at his best and I decided not to put him on the bench."
Bentley is said to be desperate to play regular first-team football in a bid to regain his place in the England fold.
The former Arsenal trainee earned his first cap in 2007 where he was famously booed by the Wembley crowd in a game against Israel.
With the World Cup finals looming, Bentley has been linked with a switch to Mark Hughes' big-spending side.
A move to Aston Villa in the summer was also on the cards after Bentley said the two parties were holding talks, although no switch materialised.
And with all the signs suggesting the player is unhappy in North London, Redknapp challenged the out-of-favour schemer to prove his worth at his current employers.
The call means Bentley could feature in his side's clash with Manchester City on Wednesday evening.
"That's not to say he won't be on the bench or in the next team next week, though," he added.
"There's no problem between him and me. He's a very good player and there's nothing to say he can't get back into the team."
