Bent decides to quit Twitter

Bent is a famous user of Twitter (GETTY IMAGES)

Sunderland striker Darren Bent has revealed he has quit Twitter to focus on the club's battle to beat the drop.

Bent regularly used the social-networking site to post comments on his private life, which included an F-word rant at Tottenham regarding delays over his move to Sunderland last summer.

The 26-year-old also used Twitter to vent his anger after his mum was racially abused prior to the 1-0 defeat at Wigan at the end of November.

But Sunderland's £10million record signing has now decided to stop tweeting and instead concentrate on helping the club end a three-month wait for a win which threatens their Barclays Premier League status.

"I had a good chat with the manager recently and I just thought with the run we're on at the moment, I needed to get rid of the distractions," Bent told the Sunderland Echo.

"I have to solely focus on getting Sunderland out of the relegation battle and I have shut the Twitter down.

"I don't even go on it any more to look at what other people are posting.

"My friends are still on there and they keep me up to date, but I felt for me, it's run its course and I should get out of it.

"I've not stepped back because anything that's been said on Twitter to me or about me.

"People were writing stories in the papers about me from what I put on Twitter. There was a lot made of it.

"It became a distraction I didn't need. I thought I would fully concentrate on the football."

Boss Steve Bruce is delighted with Bent, stating: "It's the right decision by Darren.

"When things aren't going too well for your team especially, it's a good thing to be seen to be focusing entirely on your football."

Midfielder Andy Reid, meanwhile, faces another month-long spell on the sidelines with a fresh hamstring injury.

Reid, who was out for four weeks after Christmas with a hamstring problem which saw him miss three games, sustained the latest blow in the 1-1 draw at Portsmouth eight days ago.

"Unfortunately Andy has suffered a new hamstring injury," confirmed club physician Dr Glen Rae.

"He is working with the medical team, but is likely to be missing from training for around four weeks."

Reid could potentially miss Sunderland's next five Barclays Premier League games, starting at Arsenal on Saturday, as well as matches with Fulham, Aston Villa, Bolton and Manchester City.

Striker Kenwyne Jones believes no-one can doubt his commitment to the Black Cats following a troubled January he has described as "disturbing."

Jones found himself continually linked with a move away from the Stadium of Light, most notably to Liverpool who were apparently looking to sign the Trinidad & Tobago star on loan.

Jones is adamant he was not behind the stories, and was reassured to hear Bruce's comforting during what was a troubling time.

"I didn't have any part to play in that whole situation," asserted Jones.

"There were stories going back and forth that were disturbing.

"There is no possible way you can avoid reading anything in the papers, but you try and lock yourself away from it as much as possible.

"If you noticed during all of this stuff I never came out and gave any indication I wanted to leave, that I was unhappy or anything like that.

"For me, that assumption is a bit far-fetched. There was a lot of stuff being said by whoever and you can't stop that.

"All I can do to prove I am committed to Sunderland is by showing it in games, and hopefully people can then see it with their own eyes now."