Bentley announces retirement

David Bentley has announced his retirement from professional football aged 29, stating he has lost his love of the game.

The former England international winger has been without a club since he was released by Tottenham Hotspur at the end of the 2012-13 season, and has subsequently decided to call time on his career.

Bentley insists he has no regrets over his decision, and stated that he struggled to find enjoyment in the modern game.

Speaking to Sky Sports News, he said: “My life’s gone in a different direction now and I felt like it was time to call it a day. The love of the game went a little bit and I didn’t want to carry on.

“(I have) no regrets, I’ve enjoyed every moment of it with a smile on my face. The game’s changed a lot. It’s different. When I first started it was enjoyment.

“Now it’s a little bit robotic, the social media side of things, it’s made it boring. It made it calculated. To sign another three or four years into that, it’s not really an option for me. It’s gone a little bit sour for me.

“Life’s full of ifs and buts, but I’m very happy with the way my career went. There were some highs and some lows.”

Bentley started his career at Arsenal and was tipped for a bright future, but after failing to establish himself in Arsene Wenger’s starting XI he signed for Blackburn Rovers.

After excelling at Ewood Park, Bentley returned to north London in a reported £15million move to Tottenham,

However, he slipped down the pecking order at White Hart Lane and was shipped out on loan to the likes of Birmingham City, West Ham and Rostov.

Bentley returned to Blackburn for a temporary spell in February 2013, before he was released by Tottenham at the end of that campaign and spent last term without a club.