Speculation has suggested the pair could leave Villa Park at the end of the season - but Bent says Villa need to keep hold of them if the team is to be successful in the future. Bent said every player at the club wants Young, who has just over a year remaining on his contract at Villa Park, to stay. He told Sky Sports News: "Everyone in the dressing room hopes he stays because he has had a fantastic couple of years at Aston Villa and we want it to continue. "He's a top, top player and, as I said he has been linked to some of the best clubs in the country and when you are playing as well as he is, it is only right. "And the same with Stewart Downing - he has been fantastic since I've been here, supplying goals for me left, right and centre as well as scoring them and if we can keep hold on to them two players, it will be fantastic." The striker, who joined Villa from Sunderland in a big-money move in January, added: "Obviously, for selfish reasons, for myself and especially ammunition, you want them two players to stay because they supply chances left, right and centre and, as I said, if Aston Villa want to move forward we want to keep our best players and them two are certainly two of our best players."
