Blackburn and England midfielder David Bentley on Wednesday revealed he would place up to 100 bets a day when he was gripped by a gambling habit which threatened to derail his football career.

Bentley admits in an interview on Setanta Sports´ Football Matters how gambling became more important to him than football before he eventually succeeded in kicking the habit.

"I loved it. I was 14 when I first started going to a betting shop. I got carried away with it," said Bentley, who began his career at Arsenal.