Hoddle targets Ipswich's Bent

Adrian Curtis13 April 2012

Tottenham manager Glenn Hoddle today confirmed his interest in Ipswich striker Marcus Bent.

The former Blackburn player is understood to have a clause in his contract that allows him to quit Portman Road should his present club fail to avoid relegation to the First Division tomorrow.

Spurs have been tracking his situation after being impressed with his performances against them this season. Bent would cost around £5million and Spurs could be among the first in the queue to land his signature.

Hoddle told Standard Sport: "He's a good young player who has done reasonably well. There is nothing happening at the moment but he is a player we have been monitoring. There are 10 or 11 players I am looking at and I will be going to a lot more games between now and the World Cup."

However, Hoddle refused to confirm that he had been watching Samuel Eto'o, even though he was a visitor at Mallorca's game with Real Madrid.

"People tend to put two and two together and assume I was watching him. But there is nothing in it," he said.

Spurs are still without four first-team regulars at Leicester tomorrow.

Hoddle said: "Ledley King, Dean Richards and Christian Ziege are all still out and the surgeon has advised us that Tim Sherwood should rest his injury. It is not an open wound on his shin but it needs to dry up because if it goes into the muscle then he will have problems. It is just a precaution."

Meanwhile, Hoddle was delighted for skipper Teddy Sheringham following his inclusion in Sven-Goran Eriksson's final World Cup squad. However, it was tempered with disappointment for Darren Anderton, who missed out.

Hoddle added: "I'm delighted for Teddy. I think it was always on the cards. Sven has seen what he can do and certainly he's come off the bench and affected the game like he can with his experience. I've wished him all the best and told him to go there and enjoy it. At his age it's his last World Cup and perhaps it's a surprise that he never thought would happen when he left Manchester United to come here. It shows what a good season he's had and how well he's done.

"I think Darren was in pole position when he was playing extremely well at the top of his game earlier this season and was called up a couple of times.

"Unfortunately he had a slight hamstring that kept him out of the Holland friendly. That was bad timing for him.

"He took a little time to get back to his best after that but I thought against Liverpool he was at his best again. He's disappointed and we're all disappointed for him."

Sheringham added: "There has been a lot of speculation and the last couple of weeks have been nerve-wracking.