Bent exit right for Spurs - JJ

Published Nov. 21, 2011 7:15 a.m. ET

foxsports

Bent hit the target 18 times in 32 Premier League appearances while at Spurs, but was still sold to Sunderland for £16.5million in 2009. The 27-year-old proved even more prolific at the Stadium of Light, eventually earning an £18million transfer to Aston Villa, who travel to White Hart Lane on Monday night. While Bent has since established himself as England's first-choice striker in the absence of Wayne Rooney, Jermain Defoe has lost his place in Spurs' starting line-up and slipped down Fabio Capello's pecking order. However, Jordan insists the decision to retain Defoe over Bent could not be based on scoring records alone,. "Jermain was scoring goals at the time. He was doing OK," said Jordan. "You have got to look at what strikers you have, can you play one up front, can he adapt to that? "Do you move him on, bring this one in - these are the problems that a manager and a chairman have. It doesn't just fall into place. "A lot of homework goes on behind the scenes in order for you to get the squad right. "Now and again someone has got to be sacrificed for his good and the good of the team. "You have to look at the bigger picture and not just at that individual. Even now there is competition for places. "If you are going to be involved at a big club, unless you are a real world-class player and even then you will be rested, you have got to look at the competition and accept that challenge and take it. "And that is the way we are at Spurs. We have competition for places. "Darren has always been a player that has scored goals. But here he was competing for a place with two or three other strikers who were equally good." Defoe has started Tottenham's recent Premier League matches on the bench with Rafael van de Vaart and Emmanuel Adebayor preferred up front. While Jordan accepts the status quo may be difficult for Defoe to accept, he insists the competition for places is of enormous benefit to Spurs. "Jermain Defoe is not starting as many games as he would like, but he's as sharp and strong as I have seen him," he said. "He's still waiting to get that opportunity week in week out, while there are other players who are in the team who are scoring week in week out. For us as a club that is good. "Maybe it's not good for that individual player who isn't playing, but that is the way we must have it." Jordan refuses to be drawn on who Capello should select as England's number nine - Bent or Defoe. "I'm not in that chair. It's a dilemma that Capello is getting paid quite well to solve. I will leave it up to him," he said.