I scored over 100 goals in the Premier League but I wouldn't send my son to a 'big six' academy, not even Arsenal's.
Darren Bent would not send his son to play for a big six club's academy, insisting the route to the first team is too difficult.
The former Ipswich, Tottenham and Aston Villa The striker is overseeing the development of his ten-year-old son Milan, who is currently in the Coventry squad.
Bent, who started his career at Portman Road, is pleased to see his son also starting out at a Championship club rather than a top-six Premier League side.
It comes after the recent sale of the Arsenal academy star. Emile Smith Rowe and the imminent departure of the Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagherjust 12 months after the Blues got rid of Mason Mount for Manchester United.
Former Chelsea Ace Andy Townsend told talkSPORT on Tuesday that if he were the father of a talented young footballer, he would be wary of sending him to play at Chelsea's academy.
Asked if he echoed Townsend's comment, Bent, who scored 106 Premier League goals during his career, told talkSPORT Drive: “I would say no to[sending my son]to any of the top teams.
“When you are in the academy and you are a youth player, the goal at any club is to get to the first team, but the path has to be clear, there has to be an opportunity to get there.
“Chelsea have done pretty well over the years with Conor Gallagher, Mason Mount and Reece James, but you have to be that special to get into the first team.”
Bent drew parallels with his time in the Ipswich youth system and revealed that big clubs were awash with top young talent.
With the exception of West Ham, who often promoted their top talents to the senior team, Bent says there were plenty of budding stars who quickly saw their footballing dreams brutally ended.
He added: “When I was in the youth team, ArsenalBoth Chelsea and West Ham had top players, but at West Ham many of them seemed to find their way into the first team.
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“There are so many talented kids that you will never have heard of because they have been in these academies and they are sent elsewhere because they are deemed not good enough.”
The 40-year-old remains grateful for his footballing career, which began at Ipswich and lasted no less than 17 years.
Bent is convinced that if he had started his career at Arsenal or another big club, he would not have achieved the level of success he did.
“No,” he replied when asked if he would have been as successful if he had started at a top-six club. “I was in the perfect situation for me. I could see a path to the first team.
“When I arrived in Ipswich, I was given a magazine brochure and on the cover were Kieran Dyer, Richard Wright, James Scowcroft and Titus Bramble.
“All four of them went through the academy and reached the first team and reached a decent level.
“So it was almost like, 'Well, there's an opportunity here.'”
“Look at Phil FodenLook how special it had to be to get a chance.
“It's very difficult, so I think for Milan and other lads who think that training is better at bigger clubs, and it may well be, but for me it's the perfect environment.”
