BENT OPENS UP ABOUT VILLA TREATMENT

Darren Bent has slammed Paul Lambert and accused him of alienating players at Aston Villa by forcing them to train with the youth team.
The striker was a club record signing when he joined Villa for £18million in 2011, but when Lambert took over a year later everything changed.
Bent revealed he was often left out of the squad without any explanation at all and was forced out of the first-team dressing room.

The England striker joined Fulham on loan last week but it appears unlikely he will ever play for Lambert again after blasting the Scot.
He raged: 'It was really difficult at Villa because we weren’t allowed to play in any matches, a few of us were kind of alienated to train with the kids. It has been difficult. There were times when I was thinking: ''Do I really deserve this?''
'It’s all well and good not being part of the squad, but to be treated like we have is bad. At the same time, I’m trying to put all that behind me. I’m a Fulham player, I’m happy to be a Fulham player and I’m looking forward to kicking on from here. I feel like I’ve got a lot of football in me.'
Lambert endured a difficult first campaign in charge last season and almost led the team to relegation from the top flight for the first time since 1987. He was forced to rely on a core of young players brought through the ranks at the club but gave the more experienced Bent limited time on the pitch.
He struggled with injuries at times, having to watch new arrival Christian Benteke become club top-scorer, but has lifted the lid on how Lambert made his life a nightmare at the club.

He added: 'It was horrible. It wasn’t so much the injuries, although they certainly didn’t help, it was just the uncertainty. There were times I was in the squad and times I wasn’t and there was just no explanation why.
'I understand that not every player can be every manager’s cup of tea, but to be alienated like that, to be kicked out of the first-team dressing-room, when I’ve played a long time, when I’m an international, just felt a bit disappointing.
'I’m not just hungry to play football again, I’m absolutely starving. I’m ready to get going. Hopefully for the next game I’ll get a piece of the action.'
Bent held talks with Newcastle United and had the opportunity to sign for newly-promoted Crystal Palace but decided Fulham were the best place to try to put himself in contention for a place in the England team ahead of the World Cup in Brazil next summer.
At Fulham Bent has been reunited with Martin Jol who was responsible for signing him at Tottenham in 2007. The 29-year-old has scored regularly at his five previous clubs – Ipswich, Charlton, Tottenham, Sunderland and Villa – and is keen to put the nightmare spell under Lambert behind him.