Sunderland boss Steve Bruce has vowed to keep hold of star striker Darren Bent.

Bruce knows the England hopeful, who is on the fringe of a World Cup call-up, could be on the radar of big clubs in the summer, particularly if Liverpool ace Fernando Torres is successfully snapped up by Manchester City.

But he said: "He has been huge for us and the one thing we don't want to do is sell our best players. There is no authority above me saying I have to sell.

"We need more Darren Bents. We need to look at his sort of ilk and find players of his calibre and quality.

"It hasn't surprised me he scored 23 goals. In the back of my mind I'm always thinking the kid's always done it. He did it last year at Tottenham coming off the bench near enough, he did it at Charlton and at Ipswich. He's always done it.

"I know he is worth darn sight more than he was 12 months ago and this club's got the ability to resist.

"In the past the club's I have been at before didn't resist. At Wigan we sold Palacios, Valencia, Heskey. At Birmingham we sold when the offer was big enough for Upson but I don't think that will happen here unless we are talking ridiculous prices.

"If it becomes the funny season and if it is Man City like what happened with Lescott last summer maybe but I will do my utmost to hang on."