Redknapp reveals Bent exit reason

Former Tottenham striker Darren Bent asked to leave White Hart Lane immediately after criticism from Harry Redknapp.

Bent failed to hit the target with a free header from six yards out against Portsmouth in January 2009, with the game eventually ending 1-1.

Following the game, Redknapp spoke of his disbelief at the miss, adding that his wife could have converted the chance.

The England international left for Sunderland just seven months later and the 65-year-old boss said the 28-year-old ‘sulked’ following the comment and shortly received a phone call from the player’s agent insisting the forward wanted to leave.

“It’s the truth!” Redknapp told the Radio Times.

“You’ve got to be careful. I once said, ‘My old woman could have scored that’, about a goal Darren Bent missed.”

“Bent then sulked, rang his agent, his agent rings the chairman and says he isn’t happy and wants to leave. It was only the truth, wasn’t it?”

The favourite for the England job also revealed former manager Fabio Capello once took a similar reaction after Redknapp criticised his starting line-up.

The 65-year-old said: “I did an England game at Wembley about two years ago and I said ‘I can’t believe we’re playing Steven Gerrard on the left wing’.

“Fabio got the needle with me because he thought I had criticised him and he didn’t like it, but I was only just giving him my opinion.”