Ex-Celtic boss Neil Lennon phoned me out of the blue asking me to clarify my comments, reveals ex-England star
FORMER England striker Darren Bent has revealed he once received a phone call from Neil Lennon – just a day after commenting on the ex-Celtic boss in his column.
Ex-Aston Villa and Tottenham hero Bent says he didn’t even know Lennon at the time when the Parkhead legend rang him up asking him to clarify his comments.
In a piece written for online outlet Football Insider, Bent was asked whether he’d rather play for Lennon, Celtic boss at the time, or then-Rangers manager Steven Gerrard.
Bent said he’d pick Gerrard “any day of the week” and branded Lennon “old school” – comments that clearly didn’t go down well with the former midfielder!
Chatting with Andy Goldstein on talkSPORT, Bent revealed he received a phone call from Lennon the following day.
Responding to a question on whether he’d ever been contacted after making comments in the media, Bent said: “The funniest one was Neil Lennon.
“He was on the phone, I never knew him.
“I used to do a football column called the ‘Football Insider’ and I spoke about Neil Lennon.
“They asked me ‘would I rather play under Steven Gerrard, when he was at Rangers, or Neil Lennon?’
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“I basically just said Steven Gerrard, probably because he’s a young fresh manager, I’ve played with him, I know him and I said something about Neil Lennon.
“I think there was a bit of commotion at the time or something that I said.
“The next day, someone I know text me saying ‘Benty, Neil Lennon asked if can he have your number.’
“I said no worries, no problem at all.
“He calls me, he doesn’t text me, he calls me and says ‘I just want to clarify some of the things you said.’
“So I just said exactly what I thought, but to be fair after that I then had to work with him on Soccer Saturday a couple times.
“Honestly, the nicest guy to the point where I felt I wish I hadn’t said that now.”
Asked if he new him beforehand, Bent responded: “Never. He phoned me up out of the blue.”
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