Cana: Bent can be world class
Exiled Sunderland skipper Lorik Cana believes Darren Bent is capable of being world class.
Bent remains second behind prolific Wayne Rooney in the Premier League list of top-scoring Englishmen.
He couldn't find the net against Manchester City on Sunday just days after taking his tally for the campaign to 18 with a hat-trick in last
Tuesday's 4-0 home win over Bolton.
The debate rages over whether Bent can make Fabio Capello's England squad for this summer's World Cup finals, but Cana is convinced his clubmate will one day be rated in the top bracket of global forwards.
The captain said: "He can be world class – maybe he is not just yet.
"He is very important for us, one of the most important players in our side, and he definitely made the difference last week against Bolton.
"When he scores, we rarely seem to lose.
"I think he can be a top player, but we have to help him as well.
"To score a hat-trick was great for him, for his confidence and for the club.
"He is only young, so he has time on his side in international football. People like Heskey and Crouch may not make another World Cup, but this is not Darren's last chance.
"But England are lucky because they have a lot of good strikers at the moment.
"When you look at someone like Wayne Rooney, there are not many like him in the world!"
Cana – who missed the 1-1 draw with Man City and also sits out this weekend's vital home clash with Birmingham after reaching 10 yellow cards – says Bent's work ethic is a huge positive in his favour.
The forward has carried the goals burden this season and will now be without eight-goal strike partner Kenwyne Jones for up to a month.
But the captain expects Bent to accept the responsibility.
Cana added: "Darren does a lot of work, pressing defenders and chasing things down.
"It's not just about the goals he scores, although of course that is what everyone looks at. To get 18 goals in a side that has struggled for four months is fantastic.
"He deserves all the credit he gets, and the other players deserve credit too because he doesn't score the goals on his own.
"I think he will get at least another five or six in the last 10 games – I hope so, anyway, for us and for him!"
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Friday 10 February 2012
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