LES Ferdinand is full of praise for Tottenham's new acquisition Darren Bent, whom, he says, offers the side something different to Jermaine Defoe.

Ferdinand said: 'He's a good signing. He has proved that he can score goals in the Premier League.

'He was out of action for a little while last season but still came back and scored goals. He is a proven goalscorer in the Premiership.

'He is someone who plays off the service he gets. He is not like a Jermaine Defoe, who can pick the ball up, beat two players and smash it in the back of the net.

'He reminds me of myself a little bit because he plays on the last shoulder and wants to get into the box and score his goals there.

'He's a good acquisition for Spurs.'

GATECRASH

Bent himself believes Tottenham are finally ready to gatecrash the Premiership's top four. The 23-year-old England international, who signed for a club record ??pounds;16.5 million from Charlton in June, believes Spurs have spent enough this offseason to steal a coveted Champions League spot.

Bent told Hotspur magazine: 'Spurs are a club that is definitely going forward. You only have to look at their consecutive fifth place finishes in the past two years to see that.

'For me, there was no other place to go. I believe Spurs have a real opportunity to break into the top four now and I think we can be one of the biggest clubs in Europe. There's no reason why we can't catch the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool.'

Bent will hope to fire Tottenham to Uefa Cup glory this season, even though his only taste of European football came with Ipswich six years ago.

'I managed a couple of goals and got a taste of it but I was still really young back then,' he said. 'I'd like to think I'm a better player now, so, this time around, I think I'll be a bit more prepared for it.

'A lot of people have commented on what I cost because it's obviously a big fee. But the way I see it, it has really nothing to do with me. My job is just to go out there and do the best I can.'

Bent will face competition from the likes of Dimitar Berbatov, Robbie Keane and Defoe to lead the line at White Hart Lane.

He added: 'With the attackers already at the club, I'm under no illusions as to how hard that's going to be. But the forwards who are already here all tend to do a lot of work with the ball, whereas I like to attack the space in behind the back four.

'So, hopefully, it'll work well with whomever I may get to play with, because I'll be trying to give them an area or a target to hit.

'These things can take a bit of time. At Charlton, I often played up front on my own and never really got to establish a partnership with another player. So, in that respect, it'll be a bit of a change for me.

'I also believe that if you're doing the business and banging in the goals, then you're not giving the manager any reason to take you out.' - Wire Services.