Darren Bent insists he's committed to Aston Villa.

The £24million striker admits he was shocked when boss Paul Lambert stripped him of the captaincy and then dropped him.

But Bent told The Sun: "If they feel in January it's time for a parting of the ways then that'll be down to them - it won't be my doing.

"It won't come from my side. I won't ask for a transfer, of course I wouldn't do that. Villa are a massive club and I always want to play for huge clubs. For me to ask for a move would be silly, especially at this stage of the season when there's still a long way to go.

"Everyone would like an explanation about why things happen, but that's not the manager's style and I respect that.

"I'm not going to go in and say I want to leave.

"I'm more than happy at Villa and to play my football here. The attraction is the size of the club, the history and a massive fan base. I'm prepared to give it as long as it takes."