Former Sunderland striker Darren Bent has had some harsh words for the captain of rivals Newcastle United, Jamaal Lascelles. The 26-year-old centre back has been instrumental to the Magpies’ recent survivals since returning to the Premier League, helping the side keep 26 clean sheets in 99 top-flight appearances. The Englishman has worn the armband at St James’ Park for five seasons, first accepting the responsibility during the relegation season of 2015/16. Though injury and the impressive form of fellow defenders have limited Lascelles to 16 appearances in the Premier League this term.
What did he say?
The 12 cap four-goal ex-England striker talking to Football Insider said: “You think to yourself he’s captain at a big club like Newcastle, he needs to have a look at what’s going on.” Bent added: “He should have been at least capped once for England or been spoken about.
“For someone of that physical prowess and that big, powerful presence, to be captain of Newcastle United Football Club, for him to not even be in that conversation, he maybe needs to go, something’s not quite right here,” Bent revealed.
Bent’s sky-high expectations
Over the course of the last four seasons, since Newcastle United returned to the Premier League with Lascelles as captain, Harry Maguire and John Stones appear to have been Gareth Southgate’s’ first-choice centre-back pairing, with 26 and 39 caps respectively. Both of whom have played for sides finishing in the top half of the Premier League table, while John Stones has won the league twice in that period. It might be a little unfair for Bent to have expected the captain of a side battling to stay afloat in the division to have contended against the pair and other experienced internationals such as Garry Cahill.
The only centre back to have broken through the England squad and made his debut with his side in the bottom half of the table has been Tyrone Mings, in October 2019. Furthermore, ‘big six’ players such as Chris Smalling have been shunned for more adept passers. Clearly, that is Southgate’s preferred option and not a profile Lascelles, rated £16.2m (Transfermarkt), fits.
