I teased Arsenal captain at training camp – it got me banned from nights out for months

David Bentley has recalled how Patrick Vieira banned him from nights out for months after he teased him in training camp.

Considered to be Arsenal's next generational wonderkid, Bentley broke through the Gunners' youth academy in 2001 under Arsene Wenger's management. Wenger's reign in north London will be remembered as one of the club's most legendary in history, including their 2003/04 'Invincibles' Premier League-winning season.

While raw talent and excellent teamwork were vital to Arsenal's successes in the early 2000s, the squad's no-nonsense attitude both on and off the pitch, as evidenced by Vieira's stoic presence, also played its part. It's something that Bentley quickly learned after breaking through the youth system at Hale End, finding himself on the wrong side of Vieira during his first training camp with the team.

Speaking on the Undr The Cosh podcast, the now 40-year-old said: "We used to go to Austria to this training camp where they always wanted to go up in the mountains, out the way. And I had no idea, it was my first time.

"We've come down for breakfast, and what happened at Arsenal - it probably happens everywhere - was you had a French table, the English table and the...everybody used to, kind of, sit with people they get on with. I've come down, me being me, I'm just wanting to be friends with everyone. I think I'm mates with everyone.

"French tables there, I think there's [Sylvain] Wiltord, [Robert] Pires and whoever. And there's a seat and I went, 'I'm sitting there.' So I've stepped in, and I've sat down and I went, 'Morning lads, you alright?' You know, 'What you up to last night? Have a good w***?' and all that, trying to be their mate.

"And cause I don't like silence as well, I thought they can do that can't they? Be all calm. And as I've sat there, I've looked around and these lot are smirking. I'm going, 'They're on me here, I'm going to have to back myself up. They're mugging me off.'

"And I just got a big slap like that, and I'm sat like this, and I've looked up and Patrick, club captain...'Get out my seat. You're in my seat.' And do you know when you're like, 'Ah f*** I'm red.' In that moment, I thought, 'If I say yes, I'm going to look like a right mug, and if I say no, I'm going to look like a right mug. I can't win.' So I went with the option of, 'No.'"

Bentley then explained how he immediately regretted the act of rebellion, with Vieira banning him from enjoying nights out with his team-mates for months on end. He added: "I mean, me and him are good mates now, and we were after and he quite liked it.

"But for three, four months, I wasn't allowed to go on lads' nights out. I was kicked...honestly, every training session he'd snap me. I used to love it, I used to play with it. I used to go, 'Patrick, where we going tonight son?!' I think I turned up a couple of times, 'I know I'm not invited, but shut up!'"

Unfortunately for Bentley, he failed to make a mark at Arsenal, making just nine appearances for the side before he was moved on to Blackburn Rovers in 2006. After scoring 21 goals and providing 21 assists apiece for Rovers, Bentley returned to north London to sign for Tottenham Hotspur.

He also enjoyed loan spells with Birmingham City, West Ham, Rostov and Blackburn before hanging up his boots in July 2014 at the age of just 29.

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