Marcus Bent
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Marcus Bent (born 19 May 1978 in Hammersmith) is an English footballer, who in a short career has managed to play for several different professional sides.
He attended St Paul's College in Sunbury-on-Thames and graduated through the Brentford F.C. youth ranks, usually playing as a forward. He played his first senior game at Bury on 17 August 1996, and scored his first senior goal on 10 September the same year, helping Brentford achieve a 3-2 victory over Blackpool. He was almost ever-present in a successful season that saw Brentford reach the Football League Second Division play-offs in May 1997, only to be beaten by Crewe.
In January 1998, he moved to Crystal Palace for £300,000. Almost exactly a year later, in 1999, he went on to become a Port Vale player for £375,000, but stayed only nine months before being released and joining Sheffield United.
After 56 appearances for the Blades, he was sold for £2,050,000 to Blackburn Rovers in November 2000. A year later he was sold to Ipswich for £3 million.
Bent played a season for the Suffolk side, but did not establish himself and went on loan to Premiership side Leicester City for the 2003-2004 season during which they were relegated to the Football League First Division.
Before the start of the 2004-2005 season, Bent transferred to Everton F.C. for a fee of £450,000. He has been a regular starter at Everton in the lone centre forward role, in the clubs most successful start to a season for 24 years.