Houllier hits back

Bent moved to Villa for £24 million this week, which left a sour taste in Bruce’s mouth, though the former Manchester United defender has moved clubs as frequently as Bent over the years.

But Houllier insisted that Bruce was “not too gracious” and should know that football transfers are conducted through chairman, and that Niall Quinn should have informed him of developments, as Paul Faulkner did for the Frenchman.