“I still can’t stand him” – Darren Bent opens up on bust-up with Paul Lambert at Aston Villa

Former Aston Villa striker Darren Bent has revealed he still holds a grudge against Paul Lambert following the duo's spat.

Bent spent four years at Aston Villa and during that period played 31 games under Lambert, scoring six goals.

He began life at Villa Park following a £19.35 million move from Sunderland in January 2011 in fine form, scoring nine goals in 16 Premier League matches.

But when Lambert took over in 2012 the former Tottenham Hotspur striker's Villains career nosedived.

The two were involved in a bust-up during a game against Fulham and Bent has touched on the altercation.

Speaking on TalkSPORT, the former Brighton & Hove Albion forward said:

“Me and Paul Lambert didn’t see eye to eye on anything."

Concerning the bust-up, Bent added:

"Not so much a scream up, but an argument where he said his point and I said my point. It was a case of me leaving a stadium and not going back on the team coach."

“Throughout that season, wherever we played, if we played in Manchester and players were based in Manchester, they would leave straight from the stadium. It wasn’t a rule where no one had ever done it, so that’s why I thought, if anyone could do it, I could do it as well. So we were in London, playing against Fulham, the game finishes, we all shower and that, I then went and met family and went off. We had an open day training session in the stadium At Villa Park, and the (argument) happened in the dressing room."

Bent continued:

“He tried to have a go and me, then I had a go back by saying ‘if that’s the case don’t just tell me because we got beat, start telling others who have been doing it all season. I still can’t stand him and I have not seen him since.”

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Aston Villa on the up under Steven Gerrard

Steven Gerrard is looking to transform Aston Villa

Bent may have encountered a dismal period at Aston Villa but his former side are starting to flourish under former Rangers manager Steven Gerrard.

In January, the Liverpool legend signed Everton's Lucas Digne for £27 million and Barcelona midfielder Philippe Coutinho on loan.

On the field there have been improvements under Gerrard, with the side becoming an attacking force and playing with confidence, something that had been lacking earlier in the season.

Having gone without a win in six games, the Villains have started hitting form again with two impressive wins over Brighton and Southampton.

They currently sit ninth in the Premier League table and Gerrard is starting to put his imprint on the west Midlands side.