Sunderland boss Steve Bruce is delighted Darren Bent fell out with Harry Redknapp - because it meant he got the chance to sign him.

Tottenham boss Redknapp famously lambasted the striker for a glaring miss last season, suggesting his wife could have scored.

It proved the low point of Bent's difficult two-year spell at White Hart Lane, and relations with the club were not improved by his infamous Twitter rant against Spurs as the Black Cats tried to tie up a £10million move for him this summer.

However, he will return to his former club on Saturday having scored eight goals for his new employers and with Bruce insisting he has nothing to prove in north London.

Bruce said: "Whether it was a personality clash - we all have them - whether they didn't get on, I'm not quite so sure.

"The big thing for me is whatever happened with Spurs, it has allowed me to get Darren Bent to come to Sunderland, which I am delighted about however it has come about, because he has done very well for us.

"But that's as far as it goes, as far as I am concerned - and I hope that's the same for Darren.

"He wanted to come up here - it was never an issue to move out of London to come here. I think he has enjoyed the north-east - certainly, he has enjoyed playing football, which when you are playing, is what you want to do."

Bent's form on Wearside has been such that he has been tipped to make a late charge into Fabio Capello's England squad for next summer's World Cup finals in South Africa.

But whatever happens on that front, Bruce could not be happier with the firepower at his disposal.

He said: "I don't think he has got anything to prove at all. He has done it all on the pitch over the last three or four months here.

"He's the top English goalscorer in the division and when you think of all the players in the Premier League, he is right up there at the top of the charts.

"We have all seen him for the last three or four months. He has been fantastic, so I hope he can just enjoy going back to Tottenham, score a goal - that would be nice - win the match - that would be even better - and that will certainly put a smile on his face."

However, Bent will be without usual side-kick Kenwyne Jones for the trip to Spurs after he was sent off in last Saturday's 2-2 draw with West Ham.

He will miss the next three games and despite Bruce's fury with the theatrical way in which Hammers defender Herita Ilunga reacted to being pushed in the chest, Jones has been fined.

The manager said: "That's the disappointing thing of the sending-off, not just dealing with West Ham last week, we have got to go into the next three games without Kenwyne.

"That's why he has been punished. The club has punished him.

"We have got a standard disciplinary procedure which comes into effect. It's quite simple, it's there in black and white for them.

"Kieran Richardson was exactly the same two weeks ago. If you get sent off for two yellow cards or mistimed tackles, that happens, or you are the last man and you may get handballed or something, that happens.

"But something silly - we have all done it, we have all been there, the heat of the moment and you react.

"He will be a miss because the strike-force for me has been the reason why we are going the way we are at the moment, because we are a threat at the top end of the pitch.

"Being without Kenwyne, we will have to adapt."