Villa ace Bent determined to keep England place - even under Redknapp

Aston Villa striker Darren Bent is determined to keep his place in England's Euro plans.

Bent knows exactly what will count to retain his place in the international ­pecking order.

He admitted to the Sunday Mirror: “I have learned to be much more confident in my own ability.

“Since Spurs, I have kicked my career on, and now, if I am in a blip, I just get on with it, go back and watch the ­footage of games and see what I can do better.

“As far as England is concerned at the moment, I feel like the man in ­possession. Every time in the ­qualifiers that I was fit, Fabio Capello played me, even though he didn’t take me to the World Cup before that.

“But it’s the first day of school again for everybody, isn’t it.

“I feel that all I have to do is keep doing what I’m doing, play well for Aston Villa, and no one can really ignore goals.

“If I can keep playing well and scoring goals, then if Harry or somebody else is the ­manager, they will see that and pick me too. To be honest, there weren’t really any big ­issues between me and Harry.

“A lot was built off that one quote. In the next game, I scored two against Bolton.

“When I left Spurs, I went to ­Sunderland and did well and now, touch wood, I’m doing well here.”