Bent: I'll miss fantastic fans

Strike ace Darren Bent admitted he left Charlton with a heavy heart after joining Tottenham Hotspur in a deal worth up to £16.5m on Friday morning.

Darren Bent progressed to the England squad during his time at Charlton

And the England frontman paid tribute to the Valley faithful when the official website caught up with him shortly after he completed his move across the capital.

"I'm definitely sad to leave after two great years here,” he said. "The fans were magnificent and brilliant to me, and I loved playing for the club.

"If it wasn't for Charlton, the coaching staff and everyone involved I wouldn't be able to justify such a big transfer fee, and I hope it helps the club.”

Bent's departure smashes two records; Charlton have received their greatest ever pay day for a player, eclipsing the £10 received for Scott Parker, while Spurs have also shattered their previous transfer record of £11m.

And the 23-year old England international has tipped his previous employers to shrug off his departure and bounce straight back to the Premiership next term.

"The fact that I have moved for such a big fee is down to Charlton," he said. "Hopefully the manager will be able to use some of the money to strengthen and lead the club back to the Premiership where it belongs.

"It looks like not too many people have left while a few people have come in, so that's only going to add to a fantastic squad of players already."

Bent's Charlton career was the stuff of fairytales after he joined from Ipswich Town for what would ultimately total £2.6m in summer 2005.

The subject of scouting reports aplenty up and down the country, it was previous Addicks manager Alan Curbishley that took the plunge to sign the raw youngster, and two goals on his debut at Sunderland propelled him into the limelight.

An England call-up followed hot on the heels and by the end of his debut campaign Bent had plundered 22 goals to become only the fifth Charlton player to break the 20-goal barrier in the top flight and the first in 51 years.

The top domestic marksman in the Premiership, he was also runner-up to Wayne Rooney in the PFA Young Player of the Year awards and was named as Charlton's player of the year before somehow being ignored for England's World Cup squad for Germany.

And by the time he netted in the final game of last season at Anfield, his tally was an impressive 37 goals in 79 games.

In terms of his top-flight strike rate, he is bettered by just four other Addicks - Johnny Summers, George Tadman, Eddie Firmani and 'Buck' Ryan - in the club's history, averaging a goal every 2.19 Premiership games.

And while he will no longer be bulging the net in a Charlton shirt, Bent said he will cherish his two-season spell at the club.

"My highlights would be signing for the club and being made captain," he continued. "Just playing week-in, week-out at The Valley was fantastic.

"My whole family will miss it. Everyone used to love coming down there on a Saturday and a Tuesday. It was brilliant.

"My mum had a box at the ground and used to love watching every game. She and the rest of the family will miss the club just as much as me."

The darling of The Valley, Bent was named skipper for the first time by former boss Les Reed ahead of the Carling Cup clash with Wycombe Wanderers in December.

He retained the armband under Pardew, scoring in the new manager's first game against Fulham later that month and against Aston Villa in the following fixture.

But he picked up a knee injury in that match and would crucially miss the next six games before netting in a triumphant return against West Ham United.

His last Valley appearance came, ironically enough, against Spurs, where he led the deflated Addicks around the ground after a 2-0 defeat that sealed the club's relegation.

And those supporters drew special praise from the departing star, who said: "The fans have been tremendous to me, and I will always have a special place for them in my heart.

"Anyone who knows me and the people who have seen me play in the last two seasons will know that I always fought tooth and nail for the cause.

"I saw Richard Murray's comments, and it was nice for the chairman to say I was a model professional and praise my efforts.

"I appreciate everything he did for me and everything the people at the club did in making me welcome from the day I got there. To leave is a sad occasion."

And so Bent begins another chapter, and the forward is understandably excited about remaining in the Premiership and his new life at White Hart Lane.

"It's a massive club and a massive step I'm taking and I'm relishing the chance," Darren said.

"I'm thankful to be given the opportunity and hopefully I'll be able to grab it with both hands."

Read how Charlton broke the news of Bent's record sale here.

What do you think about the departure of Bent? Supporters can have their say via the Your Views section of the official website.