OPINION
Darren Bent delivered his verdict on Christian Eriksen’s remarks about his future and seemed to imply that the Tottenham playmaker was trying to pull the wool over fans’ eyes.
The 27-year-old Spurs player did an interview with Ekstra Bladet shortly after his side lost 2-0 to Liverpool in the Champions League final in order to admit he would like to “try something new.”
Bent was asked about Eriksen’s comments and the former Tottenham forward shared he thought the playmaker had purposely made it clear he wanted to leave without directly saying that.
The pundit shared that he thought Eriksen was clearly scared of Tottenham fans turning against him if he didn’t secure a move, so tried to be vague when trying to say he’d be open to an exit.
“You can question the timing but what he said to me was quite intriguing as he came out and said he wanted to leave without really saying he wants to leave,” said Bent on talkSPORT (12:18, Thursday June 13th).
“Cause he kinda said if he’s gotta stay then I’ll stay, y’know he is happy to stay but he sees his future elsewhere.
“Yeah for me obviously it tells me he is scared of the backlash he may get if he has to go back, cause obviously sometimes at Spurs when it doesn’t go well, I know this myself, fans get on your back down there, quite quickly.
“So if he had said he wanted to go then didn’t go, it could have become quite difficult, so I think he has said the right words.”
While Bent previously claimed, when on Sky, that Tottenham fans would be happy for Eriksen to go, he seems to have become aware that may not be the case.
Yet Tottenham fans aren’t foolish and Eriksen remarks have been interpreted by most as him trying to find a way out of the club.
Given that the 27-year-old is an important player, he scored 10 goals and assisted 17 in 51 outings last season, then many Spurs fans are surely up in arms that it appears that Eriksen is trying to acquire an exit.
The playmaker may not have directly screamed ‘I want out’ from the rooftops but dancing around the issue isn’t going to make Spurs supporters any less angry if a wantaway player is stuck at the club next season.
So with that in mind, if Bent is right to imply Eriksen has tried to pull the wool over the eyes of fans by being vague, it clearly hasn’t gone to plan.