Former Ipswich Town striker Darren Bent has announced his retirement from football.

%image(15266171, type="article-full", alt="Bent celebrates his first Ipswich goal, in April 2002. Picture: PA")

The 35-year-old has been without a club since leaving Derby County last summer, following a loan spell with Burton Albion and brings his career to an end with a record of 216 goals in 568 games for nine clubs. He also won 13 England caps, scoring four goals.

He came through the Blues' academy and played 141 games for the club, scoring 55 goals.

Nineteen of those came during a hugely impressive 2004/05 season as he formed a deadly partnership with Shefki Kuqi, as the Blues reached the Championship play-offs before losing out to West Ham over two legs.

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He left that summer for Charlton in a £2.5million deal before big money moves to Tottenham (£17m), Sunderland (£10m) and Aston Villa (£18m) followed.

Revealing his plan to retire on talkSPORT today, Bent said: "It's something you think about for a while and every footballer has that point when you think enough is enough.

"But I'm excited for the next phase of my life."

Speaking last year, at a time when the Blues were in needed of a striker following an injury to Jon Walters, Bent admitted he would have loved to have finished his career at Portman Road.

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"It's a club close to my heart. That's where it all started for me, I had a lot of good days there and a great relationship with the fans. Never mind it being one of the results I look for every week, it's the first result I look for.

"Going back there one day has always been something in the back of my mind throughout my career. I think it would be fitting if that was the last stop on my journey."

Bent has been working in the media since leaving Burton.

%image(15266174, type="article-full", alt="Sky Sports presenter Scott Minto (left) with pundits Darren Bent (centre) and Liam Rosenior before the Sky Bet Championship match at the Madejski Stadium, Reading. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Friday August 3, 2018. See PA story SOCCER Reading. Photo credit should read: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire. RESTRICTIONS: EDITORIAL USE ONLY No use with unauthorised audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or "live" services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications.")