Darren Bent praises Fernando Llorente for stepping up in Harry Kane’s absence

Add as preferred source on Google

Darren Bent knows what it is like to struggle for first-team football at Tottenham Hotspur. The former England striker spent much of his two years at White Hart Lane coming off the bench.

It is a role that Fernando Llorente currently finds himself in. However, in recent weeks, he has had more first-team chances because of an ankle injury to Harry Kane. Bent commented on talkSPORT (14/02/2019; 09:10) that it must have been a struggle for the Spaniard, but that he has really stepped up in Kane’s absence.

“It’s hard (sitting on the bench). We all saw Llorente before he went to Spurs. He was on fire for Swansea and Bilbao before that.

“When you are sitting behind a striker like Harry Kane who rarely gets injured and who, when fit, is consistently going to play, you’ll never get the best from Llorente.

“You will never get that full match sharpness. You can’t get a rhythm.

“He’s another one, when Harry Kane got injured people questioned him. But he has stepped up.”

TBR’s View

It is easy to forget how impressive Llorente was at Swansea and that Juventus once fought hard to sign him from Athletic Club.

The Spanish striker is clearly a talented player and his goal against Borussia Dortmund last night could prove crucial in the second-leg at Signal Iduna Park.

Llorente now has three goals in his last six games for Spurs add to that three assists in the same period and the Spaniard has more than pulled his weight since Kane’s injury.

He has certainly proved a few doubters wrong when it comes to his apparent suitability as a Kane back-up option.

Hopefully, he can continue to do so.