Steve Bruce has admitted that he feels, the club and the fans have been let down by Darren Bent’s decision to leave Sunderland for Aston Villa, Bent joined the Midlands outfit this afternoon in a £18 million deal after he rocked the club by handing in a written transfer request.
"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," he told the club's official 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 has time at Sunderland but it's obvious he's not been himself in training.
"We've certainly not seen the best of him in games in recent weeks - and we now understand why.
On building the Club, Steve Bruce added; "I've always stated that my aim is to build a talented, young squad for the long-term to help the club achieve sustained success.
"I want Sunderland fans to know that our ambitions haven't changed on that front."
