I was the next David Beckham but retired at 29 and now own bars and clubs in Spain

David Bentley has revealed the reason behind his decision to retire before turning 30.

The former England midfielder hung up his boots in 2013 before a career change which has seen him open bars and clubs in Spain.

Bentley came through Arsenal‘s academy before making 184 Premier League appearances for the likes of Blackburn and Tottenham.

Steve McClaren even dubbed him the ‘next David Beckham‘ before handing Bentley his senior Three Lions debut.

He had drawn comparisons to Beckham with his set-piece deliveries and free-kick prowess.

McClaren had made the statement after starting Bentley for England B against Albania in a match in which he provided an assist.

However, by the end of the 2012/13 season, he decided he wanted to step away from the sport.

Explaining his decision, Bentley told Hawksbee & Jacobs: “There’s a comment that follows me around that I fell out of love with football, but I think football maybe fell out of love with me.

“I love football. Yeah, I’ve loved it since I first kicked a ball. I said that comment and it’s like anything, it lives with you. But I obviously do love football.

“I retired 12 years ago now and I’ve moved into the restaurant and hospitality business in Spain. We’ve got the La Sala brand that’s been doing really well and we’ve moved into the real estate sector now and things are flying over there.

“We’ve got our own sports bar with golf simulators and a clubhouse, we’ve got a beach club down there which has been a stable part of our business.

“We really built a brand, and we’ve opened in Hamburg next to the St. Pauli football club.”

Bentley went on to win seven caps for England after his debut against Israel aged 23 in 2007.

He would also feature for Birmingham, West Ham and Rostov in loan spells during his career.

By the time he retired, the winger had scored 17 goals in the Premier League and even picked up a winner’s medal with the Gunners in 2004.

The 40-year-old continued: “Do I feel that maybe I packed up too early? Yeah. I do miss football, I miss playing and just being part of it.

“But I’m so occupied with my business, I’ve got four children, so they keep me busy.

“I do miss it [football], it was part of my life that I loved, I did love it and I did everything that I could to love it, but the game changed. It’s got more scientific now, the sports science has taken over.

“I was at the point where it all started to change and I felt, ‘Do I sign somewhere and just do it for the money?’

“But it’s worked out well. I’m happy, I’m still alive, my teeth are still shining and I can still afford some hair gel!”