It's not about me against Tottenham, says Darren Bent

Darren Bent will not allow his return to Tottenham to overshadow Sunderland's search for three more Premier League points.

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Darren Bent will be fired up for the game.

The £10 million striker heads back to White Hart Lane for the first time since the Black Cats brought his miserable spell there to an end with a summer swoop.

Manager Steve Bruce has insisted the 25-year-old, who has eight goals to his name already this season, has nothing to prove back in North London, and the man himself is adamant that he does not want to be the focus of attention.

Bent told the club's official website: ''It's going to be strange, but I don't want the game to be about Darren Bent v Spurs, because it's so much more than that. It's about us - Sunderland - kicking on to the next level and hopefully pushing into Europe.

''I'm expecting a hostile reception, but that often happens when you return to a former club. But at the same time, I don't want people to turn the game into being all about me going back there.

''It would mean a lot for me to score, but it would mean everything if the team wins. If the team wins and I don't score, I will be the happiest man alive. But if I score and we don't win, I will be devastated.''

Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp maintains there was no bad blood between him and Bent, who was never first choice at Spurs under the former Portsmouth manager, and reckons all parties concerned were happy with the transfer.

''Darren Bent scored goals for us and I had no problem with him,'' Redknapp said. ''I think our chairman (Daniel Levy) did a deal where it pushes up to £16 million on appearances and goals, so it was a good deal for us and a good deal for Darren.

''He's playing regularly for Sunderland and is becoming a big player in their team. He is now somewhere where he is able to play regularly and score goals and he's shown what he can do. He's a good player.''

Bent launched an infamous Twitter rant at the Tottenham board as he sought a move and was also unhappy about Redknapp publicly blasting him for missing a golden chance in a 1-1 draw against Portsmouth back in January, the Spurs boss saying: ''My missus could have scored that.''

Bent has settled quickly up in Wearside, scoring some crucial goals against the likes of Liverpool and Manchester United, leading some critics to claim Redknapp made an error in selling him.

But Redknapp added: ''It will never haunt me, whatever he does at Sunderland. It's a game of opinion. People move on and prove other people wrong. Who knows, he may not have scored any goals here at Tottenham.

''What he has to do is let his football do the talking. He's scoring goals so just get on with it. He has to keep scoring goals all year and get in the World Cup squad.''