England striker Darren Bent has completed a record move from Sunderland to Aston Villa, in what was described by manager Steve Bruce as a huge disappointment. The 26-year-old signed a four-and-a-half year contract with the Villans on Tuesday, in a record deal believed to be around £18million. Despite the massive cash injection, Sunderland boss Bruce was left livid after losing his top marksman in the middle of the season. “It's hugely disappointing that Darren has decided that his future lies away from Sunderland and the players, our supporters and the club as a whole have every right to feel massively let down,” Bruce told the club's website. “The timing is especially hard to take, given that we are progressing positively and are in a great position to push on. “Everyone has been nothing but supportive of Darren in his time at Sunderland but it's obvious he's not been himself in training and we've certainly not seen the best of him in games in recent weeks - and we now understand why.” Sunderland, where plays Egypt wing-back Ahmed Elmohamady, have been heavily relying on Bent in front of goal during the past couple of seasons. The 26-year-old has been the Black Cats' top scorer last term with an impressive 24 goal-tally, followed by eight in the first half of the ongoing season.
