South Africa World Cup news: Darren Bent challenges Defoe's consistency

19/02/2010

Darren Bent has admitted his dreams of playing in the South Africa World Cup have been helped by the fact that the Premier League season is a marathon, not a sprint.

The Sunderland striker could be set for a head-to-head battle with former Tottenham Hotspur team-mate Jermain Defoe over a place in Fabio Capello's squad for the international tournament and Bent has expressed his confidence that his consistency will be the deciding factor.

On paper there is little to choose between the two forwards, with both having netted 15 times in the Premier League - the only Englishman to have scored more goals this campaign is the prolific Wayne Rooney, who has already claimed 21.

But the Black Cats forward pointed out that he has scored in more games than Defoe, who scored five goals in one game against Wigan and also claimed a hat-trick in August 2009 against Hull.

"I just try to be consistent and score goals in as many games as possible," Bent told the Sunderland Echo.

Posted by Keith Prowse