Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert has dismissed speculation that he has fallen out with striker Darren Bent.

Bent has failed to feature regularly at Villa Park since Lambert took over in the summer, with the Scot preferring Gabriel Agbonlahor and Christian Benteke in attack.

When asked if there was a feud between himself and the 28-year-old, Lambert told The Mirror: "No, nothing. Not a thing - I speak to him.

"All I try and do is pick a team which will win a game. Everybody is involved in it and that is all I do."

Bent joined Villa for a club record £18m from Sunderland in January 2011.

Written by
Jack Prescott