Position: Striker/wide midfielder
Age: 19
Born: Peterborough (Aug 27, 1984)
Date signed: June 3, 2004
Signed from: Arsenal, season-long loan
Contract: Season-long loan
City debut: v Crystal Palace H (August 14, 2004)
International honours: England Under-21
Minutes played in pre-season (max 630): 451

Last season: 5 appearances (+ 3 as sub) for Arsenal. Bentley found his opportunities limited at Highbury last season – hardly surprising when seasoned internationals of the calibre of Kanu and Sylvain Wiltord were also struggling to get a game. But he still managed to provide glimpses of his rich potential, with an audacious chipped finish against Middlesbrough in the FA Cup the undoubted highlight.

Target for this season: To help City adjust to life in the Premiership – and catch Arsene Wenger’s eye! Bentley was loaned out to the Canaries to get the top-flight experience he would have been denied at Arsenal and both Worthington and Wenger will be watching his progress closely. If he does well the Gunners could be fielding more than just two Englishmen in their starting line-up in the 2005/06 campaign.

Arsenal have high hopes for their young attacking player – he’s been likened to team-mate Dennis Bergkamp – and he arrives on loan at Carrow Road with much praise ringing in his ears. The prospect of Bentley and Huckerby playing in the same side is a mouth-watering one for Canaries followers and they should be able to provide enough ammunition for the strikers to work with.