Sunderland striker Bent star-struck by Brazil

Sunderland striker Darren Bent has hinted he was star-struck by Brazil on Saturday.

Bent struggled to make an impact for England in the 1-0 defeat.

He said: “It was nice to get back in the squad and play against Brazil. It is every player's dream to play for their country, but to play against a team of the calibre of Brazil was special.

“It was good from start to finish, from meeting up at Watford, to going to Qatar and playing in their stadium. Playing against Brazil was a spectacle. You don’t realise how good they are until you play against them. You see them on TV and think they are good but when you play them, it is wow, what players these guys really are.

“For me Kaka was fantastic, Luis Fabiano was brilliant. They are top players and you see why they play for the likes Real Madrid. It was nice to get 60 minutes, I’d have liked longer.”