The 33-year-old has been in impressive goalscoring form since the turn of the year – but has he done enough to warrant a new deal?
If Chris Martin, top scorer in each of the last three seasons, split the Derby County fanbase down the middle it’s no surprise that Darren Bent is far from universally popular at the iPro.
For those who claim that he is little more than a glorified goal-hanger, only breaking from his statuesque positioning when the ball rolls invitingly along his path, others will point to a tally of eight goals in his last ten games which has almost made up for a 13 game scoreless streak at the beginning of the season.
Yet, that’s just the kind of player Darren Bent is. The Telegraph reported in 2015 that the former England international cost Aston Villa £27,000 per touch during three years at the club.
However, those same detractors weren’t complaining after his Villa debut against Manchester City in January 2011. Almost anonymous across 90 minutes, waiting 11 for his first touch, Bent netted the only goal with his one meaningful act of the game.
Then again, is a player so heavily reliant on service worth keeping at a club that can’t afford to carry a luxury goalscorer? Bent’s tally of three in 25 games last season suggest not but, this time around, the 33-year-old looks sharper, quicker than he has done for many a year.
He’s got 12 in 34 this season in all competitions while only Tom Ince has more in the league. He may not offer the link up play of David Nugent or the pace of Matej Vydra but he is a born taker of chances – something one of the league’s lowest scorers can hardly do without.
Derby have an option to extend his current contract which expires at the end of the season. And, whatever their decision, it is unlikely to be met with a unanimous response from the fans.
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