Villa face Sunderland in the Premier League at Villa Park on Wednesday.
“I do agree that Bent has had a really terrific season and he has the goals to prove his point,” said O’Neill.
“It was a chance he was looking for at Tottenham to be playing pretty regularly, but with their strike force it didn’t appear as if that was going to be at all possible.
“He has gone to Sunderland and proved himself, while Jones, on his day, is a real handful.”
