By Paul Brown

Paul Lambert insists Darren Bent will be "absolutely huge" for Villa this season.

Lambert says Bent's immense goalscoring record makes him a valuable asset as he heads into his first season as Villa boss.

Bent missed the final three months of the season following surgery on an ankle injury sustained at Wigan.

After a summer programme of rehabilitation, Bent is now fit to begin the coming campaign.

And Lambert says that's a "big plus."

He said: "Darren will be huge, absolutely huge.

"He's a goalscorer. Every team needs them. You can't just rely on one guy to score you the goals.

"But his influence at the football club is huge as a result of what he has done in his football career up to now.

"He had a fabulous goalscoring record at Sunderland and if you look at it, his goalscoring career here is phenomenal.

"For England too, he is a threat. He would have gone to the Euros no problem if he'd been fit.

"It is a big plus for us to have him fit."

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