Latest news with #DavidBentley
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Ex-Arsenal star reveals he squared up to Thierry Henry and used to get BLACK EYES from his team-mates as he lifts the lid on Gunners' fighting culture under Arsene Wenger
A former Arsenal star has lifted the lid on the aggressive atmosphere in Arsene Wenger 's squad of Invincibles - and revealed how he once squared up to Gunners legend Thierry Henry during a particularly heated clash. The French manager oversaw one of the north London club's finest eras during his 22-year tenure, with Wenger's squads achieving two double-winning seasons and their unmatched, unbeaten season in 2003-2004. In the early 2000s, the squad with replete with players whose names would pass into Arsenal folklore, including Henry and his compatriot Patrick Vieira, Dennis Bergkamp and Martin Keown. But as ex-winger David Bentley revealed on a recent podcast appearance, with the squad's competitive spirit came a fighting attitude that saw players even come to blows with one another after training sessions. Bentley came through the Arsenal academy before linking up with the senior side in 2001. Although the player spent a number of seasons on loan - first at Norwich City, then at Blackburn Rovers - his entry into the first-team dressing room was a baptism of fire, with the then-teenager thrust into a heated atmosphere at the club's Colney training ground. 'You talk about personalities. No chance,' Bentley told Undr The Cosh podcast. 'You've got Ray Parlour - loves it, lunatic, beautiful man. 'Then you've got Martin Keown, Dennis Bergkamp's an animal - he'd kick the c*** out of everyone. 'Giovanni van Bronckhorst - I used to come up against him and I'd come away with black eyes and bloodied eyes, he used to elbow the life out of me. 'Fights. Pascal Cygan against Kolo Toure was the best fight I've ever seen on the training ground. Two animals going at each other. To try to break them up we needed the whole team. Vieira stamping on me.' But Bentley was quick to admit a moment of his own hot-bloodedness, when going toe-to-toe with France superstar Thierry Henry. The pair were playing against one another in a highly competitive seven-a-side training game organised by Wenger, and Bentley described how, during a heated exchange, he saw red with Henry. 'I squared up to Thierry Henry, ripped off my gloves, (said) "Come on, let's have it." What they did - Wenger, (assistant manager) Pat Rice and the coaching staff - was put on seven-a-sides everyday. 'The dressing room was more concerned about winning the seven-aside tournaments than the game on Saturday. It was hell for leather and it was just slide tackles and fighting. Especially in the last game, that's where I squared up to Thierry, bless him. I would have got a good hiding as well!' Bentley also reminisced about a close encounter with Keown, after he ribbed the star over his age. 'Worst thing I could have done,' Bentley added. #The ball then came in, and I was shielding it, he grabbed me by the neck and threw me from behind. 'My shirt was ripped, and I'm going "Gaffer! Pat!" and they'd say, "get on with it!" Bentley was adamant that the high-intensity atmosphere was critical to Arsenal's unbeaten success - and over 20 years later, current manager Mikel Arteta has appeared keen to create his own unique culture within his title-chasing squad. The current Gunners manager has raised eyebrows with his unusual coaching methods, which have included playing You'll Never Walk Alone in training sessions ahead of facing Liverpool, and hiring sleight-of-hand illusionists to pick his players' pockets at a team dinner to teach them the lesson of alertness.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
David Bentley reveals Blackburn Rovers 'regret' and England transfer pressure
David Bentley admits that he regrets leaving Blackburn Rovers but revealed Mark Hughes' departure to Manchester City and pressure from the England coaches swayed his decision. The former England international played the best football of his career at Ewood Park after signing from Arsenal. He was a huge part of the club's successful years in the mid-2000s which saw Rovers punch above their weight in the Premier League. Those days are spoken of fondly by former players and supporters. Bentley, who struggled to recapture his Rovers form elsewhere, says he played the best football of his career there. 'Mark wanted to play the high-intensity style, he was used to it at Manchester United so we had expressive players,' he told Undr The Cosh. READ MORE: 'We had Benni McCarthy, Santa Cruz and Tugay. We had very good players. To finish fifth and sixth for two/three years, that's massive for Blackburn, for where they were at. I know they won the league years ago but the consistency then, we were one of the best teams. 'I played my best football there. I had the most freedom and I loved it, being around the dressing room with the lads, the football club was great then. I don't know what it's like now. 'The people, the community, I loved it there.' However, Bentley was put under pressure by Fabio Capello and his coaching staff to leave Rovers for a bigger club. With the World Cup coming up, that played heavily on his mind. Hughes' decision to join Manchester City in 2008 proved to be the decisive factor with Bentley concerned that Blackburn would decline following his exit. 'I wish I had never left Blackburn,' he continued. 'Capello's number two told me I had to leave or I wouldn't play, as simple as that. That was the truth. Even though we were finishing fifth, sixth. I wouldn't get in the team. 'That media narrative about having to play for a big club is 100% true. You get wired up that you're going to play for England and they tell you that you've got to move. 'It did play a big part (of him leaving). I had a meeting with Mark Hughes after they said that to me in April and I was honest with them. The club told me who they'd sign and what they wanted to do. 'Then Mark went to Manchester City and that was me done. I felt from that point that the Blackburn thing wasn't going to continue. I loved the club and everything about it but from that point, I felt that if I'd stayed, I might not have got to the World Cup. 'I was worried Blackburn would decline from then and I was worried about that. I put a transfer request in to join Tottenham then, I have always wanted to play for them. 'I regret how I left. I faked an injury because you don't want to get hurt and I wanted to put the deal through. The issue was that it wasn't very beneficial for Blackburn to sell me as Arsenal got 50% sell-on.' Bentley would return to Ewood Park in 2013 after Rovers had been relegated to the Championship. However, it wasn't an enjoyable experience for him as he felt the bubble had burst from their golden era. 'I went back to Blackburn on loan under Michael Appleton and the club was completely different,' he explained. 'People had left, all the physios had changed. It was completely different. It did hurt. I wanted to go back and thought it might reignite me. I went back in and it was on its head. 'If you find an environment that suits you, you look around football and players find themselves in the wrong place. Looked at Manchester United at the moment. Players look like they can't control a ball and then they go elsewhere and they're a world beater. 'It's not always just about football. There is more to it than that, more of a feeling. If you create an environment, whether that's business or football, you will excel. 'I was lucky, other people created that environment and I was lucky to land in it. I did engage and participate in making that a good environment too.'
The Guardian
06-06-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
What about fitness tips for those of us aged 90 and above?
Hannah Coates' article (From strength training in your 20s to yoga in your 80s: how to reach peak fitness at any age, 31 May) covered ages up to 80, as did another similar article earlier in the week (28 May). What about those over 90 like myself, 94, still active on the rowing machine (11 minutes 16 seconds for 2,000 metres)? In the same week, there was also an article describing a very fit 105-year-old. Our county, Surrey, is home to Britain's oldest person at 115. Don't forget the over-90s in your articles on BentleyEnglefield Green, Surrey I and my 80-plus-year-old friends fell about (voluntarily) laughing when we read that we can consider ourselves 'in good form' if we can walk unaided for 10 minutes. Since many of us regularly hike, garden, swim, cycle and play tennis, we clearly need to examine much more closely the fitness standards for our age group. Or maybe we should just retire to our Bath chairs?Shirley FosterSheffield I didn't know whether to laugh or cry when I read your article. Yes, my 82-year-old neighbour can walk unaided for 10 minutes – he's just completed two complete circuits of Richmond Park on his bike. My wife, a 77-year-old whippersnapper, walks six miles with our dogs each day, has recently completed the Couch to 5K running programme, attends barre and yoga classes each week and teaches pilates. These are healthy people of a certain age. There are many just like them. Please don't confuse ageing with KayeSunbury-on-Thames, Surrey Hannah Coates describes a terrible cliff edge at 80, when we should apparently be pleased if we can walk for 10 minutes. I first joined a rambling club 20 years ago, when I was in my early 60s. I can walk 10 miles unaided, thank you for asking. It may take me five hours VauxLondon It was great to read about Sarah Roberts ('Never think you're too old': meet the world's fastest 75-year-old woman, 31 May). As a 61-year-old, I was reminded of a recent run I did on holiday. After I had finished, I looked at my new GPS-enabled sports watch my wife Tracy had recently bought me and was astonished to see I had run the last three miles at an average of 4 minutes 15 seconds per mile! It was only a short while after, I reminded myself I had been running around a cruise ship and we had been sailing at around 20 AdamsCirencester, Gloucestershire Have an opinion on anything you've read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.
The Sun
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Tottenham icon gets into Mikel Arteta's office and grabs two beers from his fridge after charity match at Emirates
FORMER Tottenham star David Bentley gave himself a tour of Mikel Arteta's office - and even helped himself to a beer. The ex- Spurs midfielder snuck into Arteta's Emirates base after a recent charity match. 4 4 4 4 Bentley began his career with the Gunners, playing just one senior game despite being dubbed the "next David Beckham". He joined Tottenham in 2008, but suffered from persistent injuries before hanging up his boots five years later. Bentley starred in a Sellebrity Soccer charity match at the Emirates on Thursday. He played alongside internet duo Woody and Kleiny, who later filmed the midfielder rooting around behind the scenes at the Emirates. The clip - which was taken down on Friday night - was posted by the former Britain's Got Talent duo across their Instagram, TikTok and Facebook pages. It showed Bentley decked out in a Tottenham shirt with "Winners 2025" written in black pen across the back, referencing the recent Europa League final. Bentley enters what appears to be Arteta's office, with the Spaniard's name on a plaque alongside the door. Entering the room, a laughing Bentley said: "I love this man." He then headed straight over to a mini fridge alongside Arteta's tactics board. Taking out two bottles of lager, he joked: "You know what he's done for me? He's only gone and left us a beer." Moment bold Arsenal fan bombarded with X-rated chant from Spurs supporters after strolling around Bilbao in Gunners kit Woody and Kleiny confirmed they had been asked to remove the footage from their social pages on Friday night. Addressing their 5 million Instagram fans, the duo wrote: "Many have been asking where the post of Bentley raiding Arteta's fridge has gone... "Unfortunately we were asked to remove the video." The clip has since been widely shared across social media, with fans from both teams reacting to Bentley's brazen prank. But it appeared to be Bentley's grammar which grated Arsenal's fanbase the most. One wrote: "This is the most David Bentley content imaginable from the theft for bantz down to writing the word winners with an apostrophe on an 08/09 Spurs kit". Another groaned: "Unnecessary apostrophe there Mr Bentley."
The Irish Sun
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Tottenham icon gets into Mikel Arteta's office and grabs two beers from his fridge after charity match at Emirates
FORMER Tottenham star David Bentley gave himself a tour of Mikel Arteta's office - and even helped himself to a beer. The ex- 4 Former Tottenham midfielder David Bentley has appeared to sneak into Mikel Arteta's office Credit: 4 The ex-Spurs star was playing in a charity game at the Emirates Credit: 4 A now deleted video sees Bentley grab beers from a fridge Credit: 4 Bentley then toasts Spurs' Europa League success Credit: Bentley began his career with the Gunners, playing just one senior game despite He joined Tottenham in 2008, but suffered from persistent injuries before hanging up his boots five years later. Bentley starred in a He played alongside internet duo Woody and Kleiny, who later filmed the midfielder rooting around behind the scenes at the Emirates. READ MORE ON FOOTBALL The clip - which was taken down on Friday night - was posted by the former Britain's Got Talent duo across their Instagram, TikTok and Facebook pages. It showed Bentley decked out in a Tottenham shirt with "Winners 2025" written in black pen across the back, Bentley enters what appears to be Arteta's office, with the Spaniard's name on a plaque alongside the door. Entering the room, a laughing Bentley said: "I love this man." Most read in Sport BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK He then headed straight over to a mini fridge alongside Arteta's tactics board. Taking out two bottles of lager, he joked: "You know what he's done for me? He's only gone and left us a beer." Moment bold Arsenal fan bombarded with X-rated chant from Spurs supporters after strolling around Bilbao in Gunners kit Woody and Kleiny confirmed they had been asked to remove the footage from their social pages on Friday night. Addressing their 5 million Instagram fans, the duo wrote: "Many have been asking where the post of Bentley raiding Arteta's fridge has gone... "Unfortunately we were asked to remove the video." The clip has since been widely shared across social media, with fans from both teams reacting to Bentley's brazen prank. But it appeared to be Bentley's grammar which grated Arsenal's fanbase the most. One wrote: "This is the most David Bentley content imaginable from the theft for bantz down to writing the word winners with an apostrophe on an 08/09 Spurs kit". Another groaned: "Unnecessary apostrophe there Mr Bentley." While a third deadpanned: "He could have at least shut the fridge door." SunSport has contacted Arsenal for comment.
