Darren Bent insists he's fully committed to the Aston Villa cause.

As Bent chatted to youngsters from the Acorns Hospice in Selly Oak, Birmingham, the injured striker reiterated his commitment to Aston Villa following an ill-advised decision to go shopping while the team were losing 2-0 at home to Liverpool.

"I can assure the Villa fans I'm committed to the football club," insisted Bent to the Daily Mail. "I am passionate about Villa and I want to score goals for the team.

"People sometimes forget where Villa were when I came here - Sunderland were sixth. But I wanted to come here and achieve things. That has not changed."