Marcus Bent

Bent scored ten goals in 35 games, though the First Division beckoned for the Foxes, as the Walkers Stadium club finished six points behind 17th place Everton.

Marcus Nathan Bent (born 19 May 1978) is a retired English professional footballer.

A former England under-21 international, the journeyman striker played 573 games and scored 113 goals for fourteen different clubs.

His numerous transfer fees totalled over £10 million.

He began his career at Brentford in 1995, before he signed with Crystal Palace in 1998, where he made his Premier League debut.

The next year he joined Sheffield United via Port Vale.

He broke into the first team at Griffin Park in 1995–96 under manager David Webb, helping the Bees to a 15th-place finish in the Second Division.

Bent was almost ever-present in a successful season that saw Brentford reach the play-offs in 1996–97 with a fourth-place finish.

He played at Wembley in the play-off final defeat to Crewe Alexandra, and was substituted after 70 minutes for Scott Canham.

Bent then scored five goals in 29 games in 1997–98, as the Bees struggled in vain to avoid relegation under Eddie May and then his replacement Micky Adams.

The Eagles were relegated out of the Premier League in last place in 1997–98, though Bent had shown his ability with five goals in 16 games, including strikes at Stamford Bridge and Anfield.

Though not a prolific striker for Brentford, Bent's potential was spotted by Crystal Palace manager Steve Coppell, who brought Bent to Selhurst Park for £300,000 on 8 January 1998.

However, he remained goalless in 15 appearances in 1998–99, as Palace struggled under new boss Terry Venables.

Played out of position on the left-wing, Bent went 15 games without a goal for the Valiants in 1998–99.

With the club heading for administration, he was sold on to First Division rivals Port Vale for £300,000 on 15 January 1999, as one of long-term manager John Rudge's last purchases.

Rudge was unable to make the most of his new player, as chairman Bill Bell controversially sacked Rudge and hired Brian Horton.

He played nine games in 1999–2000, scoring once against Grimsby Town in a 3–1 win at Vale Park.

In October 1999, he was sold on to league rivals Sheffield United for £375,000, with Bell eager to cash in on the £75,000 profit.

He later described moving from Crystal Palace to Port Vale as "my dream blown up in my face" as he struggled to adapt to life outside London, referring to the culture shock he said "Someone said 'All right, Duck', which put me on my toes. I thought, 'Why are you calling me Duck?'

Bent became the Blades top scorer in 1999–2000 with 15 league goals in 32 appearances, including a hat-trick past West Bromwich Albion in a 6–0 thrashing at Bramall Lane on 19 February.

The club had struggled under Adrian Heath, before finding an upturn in results after Neil Warnock stepped into the hot-seat in December.

In 2000, he transferred to Blackburn Rovers, before he moved on to Ipswich Town in 2001.

He began the 2000–01 campaign in fine form, hitting a hat-trick past Lincoln City in a 6–1 win in the League Cup.

He was reportedly targeted by former club Crystal Palace for a swap deal of Clinton Morrison and £1.5 million; however, manager Alan Smith denied that he had made any such offer.

He was instead sold to promotion-chasing Blackburn Rovers for £2 million in November 2000; the transfer was seen as good business for both clubs.

Bent scored his first goal for Rovers against bitter East Lancashire rivals Burnley in a 2–0 win at Turf Moor on 17 December 2000.

He went on to hit 11 goals in 34 appearances in 2000–01, justifying Graeme Souness's fee, as the Ewood Park club won promotion back to the Premier League.

He made ten goalless appearances in 2001–02, before he was sold on to Ipswich Town for £3 million in November 2001, which was Town's fourth biggest transfer fee behind teammates Matteo Sereni, Hermann Hreiðarsson, and Finidi George.

"'His goalscoring form has proved the £3m fee for Bent From Blackburn is money very well spent. It's no coincidence that Ipswich's change in form has followed him signing for them. His speed, pace and eye for goal have tormented some of the Premiership's best defences.'"

Despite Bent scoring nine times in 22 league starts, the Blues were relegated from the Premier League at the end of the 2001–02 season.

He stayed at Portman Road for the 2002–03 campaign, hitting 12 goals in 38 games, as the Tractor Boys missed out on the play-offs by one place and four points.

However, Ipswich entered administration, and were forced to sell talent such as Marcus Stewart, Titus Bramble, and Darren Ambrose; a relegation battle was only avoided after manager George Burley was replaced by Joe Royle.

He spent 2003–04 on loan at Leicester City, before he transferred to Everton in 2004.

Two years later he was sold on to Charlton Athletic.

Ipswich then found another striking talent, Darren Bent (no relation), and Bent joined newly promoted Premier League side Leicester City on loan for the 2003–04 campaign, in a move that reunited him with manager Micky Adams.

He spent the 2007–08 season on loan at Wigan Athletic, before he moved on to Birmingham City in 2008.

He spent three years with Birmingham, during which he spent time on loan at Middlesbrough, Queens Park Rangers, Wolverhampton Wanderers, and Sheffield United.

After leaving the club he spent six months in Indonesia with Mitra Kukar.

After five years out of the game, during which time he faced legal issues, he then had brief spells in non-League football with Wick and Cornard United.

Bent graduated through the Brentford youth team ranks, usually playing as a forward.