Interview with Darren Bent: Goals, Race & Retirement
On Tuesday 18th October I was fortunate to attend the BCOMS masterclass event with News UKwhere we interviewed Kweku Afari, Toni Afoke and Darren Bent.
When quizzing Darren Bent, a number of different topics arose, varying from sports focused issues to personal favorites in his footwear cabinet. He spoke about the psychological effects of missing out on World Cup selection, something he unfortunately experienced in 2006 and 2010. More personally, he mentioned how the first omission was the most difficult to stomach given his form going into the tournament. He recalled his whereabouts when he received the dreaded phone call from Sven-Göran Eriksson and how he was surprised at Jermaine Defoe’s absence from the squad since he also was not included. Having known each other since the age of fifteen, they had developed a healthy competition between themselves, with twenty goal a season figures making them viable candidates for England selection. For neither of them to be considered was a shock to both, a puzzle they are still trying to solve today. In consolation, Fabio Capello called him after the tournament and mentioned the mistake made in not bringing him with the squad. Though he was then after the starting striker for a few internationals, that part of history could not be rewritten, and his dream was left unfulfilled.
This led on nicely to another topic that was a constant in the discussion, namely the expectations and evolution in the role of a striker. For the most part, in his career the predominant system was 4-4-2 whereby he was partnered with another forward. Nowadays the majority of teams play with one striker where the all round game they offer is much more important. Goals were his currency and what he believed strikers should ultimately be judged on, yet other factors such as work rate, hold-up play and pressing ability became increasingly important. As he stated bluntly,
“If I score more, I’m better than you. It’s as simple as that.”
He also confessed to favoring a trophy-less season where he scored 24 goals to one where he scored 12 but the team won a trophy where he did not feature in the final. This admittance did not detract from the unmatched joy he felt when Spurs won the League Cup in 2007-08, but it was clear that having a personal contribution to the team’s success was always paramount for Bent, particularly when it involved him putting the ball in the back of the net.
I then asked him about what his measurement for success was post his footballing career, to which he mentioned black representation and career progression. Being the only black pundit on the main show at Talksport is a privilege and responsibility he knows can inspire the next generation. With hard work and diligence he believes such feats are possible and acknowledges that though his professional career opened the door for his opportunity, he still had to prove himself in this new field of work. He acutely stated:
“Everything I do is a representation to the next generation.”
Regarding thoughts about becoming a manager, his response was emphatic. He has attained all his coaching badges yet upon receiving advice from a high profile black manager about becoming a coach he was told:
"Don't even bother, unless someone brings you with them you won't get the opportunity.”
This was a very sobering statement to hear and is symptomatic of the current sporting culture. He enjoyed coaching but never loved it so overcoming such a hurdle would prove too steep a task. Whilst the media is where he feels he belongs, he anticipates a wave of black footballers entering into top-level coaching and management. With Yaya Toure and Jermaine Defoe already making the transition, more opportunities should become available for young black footballers. In his view there is not enough help for retiring footballers when navigating the next stage of life. Whilst the public expect players to have no issues given the financial backing they received during their careers, he notes that the vast majority of professionals are not playing at the highest level. The financial incentives are not as lucrative lower down the leagues.
He mentioned the commoditization of players where football clubs are quick to use them when required and dismiss them as soon as their value diminishes. One club who are at the forefront of improving this process is Crystal Palace in their offering of two year guidance for players released from the academy. Darren suggested that every team should provide an aftercare programme for players to tackle the realities of failure when making it as a professional footballer. The statistics are grim at best and organisations must do more to remediate this issue, especially given the reality that most youths forfeit their education in full pursuit of this goal.
The consequences of inadequate aftercare often leaves the players without viable options for the future, with parents left to pick up the pieces both mentally and financially.
Overall, it was a deeply insightful interview to be a part of with Darren Bent. His honesty and transparency confirmed the issues that are still prevalent in the footballing world, however he raised hopes of this being corrected sooner rather than later. Much more needs to be done, but with BCOMS continued work in providing opportunities for black people to break into these spaces hopefully we can be the generation to lead the change.