Marcus Bent - former Everton, Sheffield United, Ipswich Town and Crystal Palace striker - agrees to join Cornard United
Former well-travelled Premier League striker Marcus Bent has been announced as an eye-catching new addition for mid-table Thurlow Nunn League First Division North side Cornard United.
Manager Dave Childs confirmed to us he has been in talks with the 41-year-old ex-Everton, Sheffield United, Ipswich Town and Crystal Palace striker for 'a few weeks' and is delighted he has agreed to sign. The Ards are at home to Sheringham today (3pm) but their new signing is not set to make his debut until their away match at Downham Town a week on Saturday (3pm).
Bent clocked up 574 professional appearances, scoring 113 goals, in a career which began at Brentford and ended with an 11-game spell at Indonesia Super League club Mitra Kukar in April, 2012.
At the age of 39 he was announced as coming out of retirement in September 2017 to launch a non-league career with Southern Combination League Premier Division club Wick. But the fromer England Under-21 international was reported to have left the club without making an appearance.
Bent knows Suffolk well having made 61 appearances for Ipswich Town, scoring 21 goals, from 2001 to 2004 after a £3 million move from Blackburn Rovers. Town were relegated from the Premier League during his spell at Portman Road but Bent's goals had given hope of saving them and he was awarded the Premier League Player of The Month in January 2002.
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Cornard boss Childs Tweeted: "Really pleased to have Marcus on board and looking forward to working with him."
The Ards currently lie 12th in the First Division North table and reached the final of the Suffolk Senior Cup at Ipswich Town's Portman Road last season, losing 4-3 to Achilles.
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