As Arsenal travel to Carrow Road this weekend, both sets of supporters will perhaps remember one of the few players both the Gunners and Norwich City share, David Bentley.

Once touted as the future David Beckham, the young Englishman showed excellent promise in his early cup appearances for Arsenal. His first goal, a chip shot outside the box against Middlesbrough in January 2004, came in the FA Cup.

He played six times in the competition for Arsenal that season and made one start in the league, playing an hour against Portsmouth in April after the league title was wrapped up. However, his hour against Pompey would be his only league appearance for the Gunners in his nine years at the club.

Bentley’s first problem was that he broke through into the first team at possibly the worst time for youth players. Arsenal were going through their 49 game unbeaten run while Bentley was trying to make his mark, meaning he was up against legends Robert Pires and Ray Parlour on the right and Dennis Bergkamp and recently purchased Jose Antonio Reyes alongside Thierry Henry as a second striker.

Loan spells

With top players ahead of him, Bentley found himself on loan to newly promoted Norwich City in 2004.

Injury disrupted his time with the Canaries, who were relegated back to the Championship after one season. He did, however, play a huge part in their shock 2-0 win against Manchester United before the seasons ended.

His return to Arsenal was the first sign that Bentley was not prepared to stick around as he handed in a transfer request in summer of 2005, irritated that the likes of Robert Pires were still ahead of him.

At just 21, Bentley wanted out. Although many off the field problems like a gambling addiction probably didn’t help, Bentley’s arrogance was foolish and, had he stayed for one more season, he may have actually obtained his wish.

He was shipped out to Blackburn Rovers, where he would spend half a season on loan before signing permanently in January, marking the occasion with his first senior hat-trick against Manchester United.

However, Arsenal’s team drastically altered the following season; from the experienced Invincibles to the youth movement led by Cesc Fabregas. Pires left for Spain, replaced by Alexandar Hleb, a spot in the team that could so easily have been filled by Bentley.

That didn’t bother the former youth prospect though, who was now becoming a key figure in the Blackburn Rovers team and was attracting the attention of some of the bigger clubs, however, his arrogance was still to be his undoing.

In 2007, he refused to play for the England Under-21s, citing fatigue, and his commitment to his country was called into question by then-under 21s manager Stuart Pearce. England fans would later jeer Bentley during a substitute appearance against Israel for the senior side.

It was around this time that the Bentley hype train started rolling again with then-England manager Steve McClaren stating Bentley could be the next David Beckham. It seemed one man believed that more than any other, Bentley himself.

After three good years in Lancashire, Bentley expressed his desire to move to a bigger club. This time it was back to North London but with Spurs.

Tottenham and out

Moving to Arsenal’s biggest rivals did nothing to endear Bentley to the Gunners faithful, he’d already angered former manager Arsene Wenger and Arsenal fans suggesting Theo Walcott should leave Arsenal for first team football whilst still a teenager.

His move back to North London would be the beginning of the end of his career, however. Despite a decent start at White Hart Lane, which included a sensational dipping volley from 40 yards out against Arsenal, Bentley struggled to live up to his £15m price tag and maintain a first team place.

After just one season Bentley started to become an afterthought at Spurs and, by 2011, would face multiple loan spells away from the club at Birmingham City, West Ham United, Blackburn Rovers and FC Rostov.

In 2014, aged just 29, Bentley retired from football altogether following his release from Tottenham citing that he’d fallen out of love with the game.

Wasted youth

A player that was so talented and had a lot of hype surrounding him had been wasted, but there were not too many people but Bentley to blame.

It had been hard for him. Thrust into the media spotlight early, he no longer could go out when he pleased, his high earnings for a teenager had seen off field issues like gambling addictions hinder his personal life.

However, his belief that he was too good for the England Under 21s and was already worth a starting spot was never going to endear him to any fans or help his career. Bentley desperately needed someone to keep him grounded.

He could have been England’s star midfielder, David Beckham’s successor and the nation’s new hero, instead he became a pantomime villain and a forgotten footballer.