Dan Bentley says he lives his life to prepare for scenarios like last Sunday, coming into the startling line-up at the last minute for Wolves’ win at Old Trafford.
Once Jose Sa went down in the warmup in Manchester, eyes turned to his debuty on the day Bentley, who stepped in and kept a clean sheet which proved crucial once Pablo Sarabia struck the winner at the opposite end of the pitch.
It was Bentley’s first outing since August – a Carabao Cup tie with Burnley – but he dealt with everything asked of him, providing the last line of defence in a performance which may not have been vintage, but the result was.
On the late call up
“It was very unexpected. I didn't expect that at 8 o'clock in the morning when I woke up, but it's what I do every day, in terms of my preparation, in terms of my attitude and training and my application. The way I live my life is for these eventualities. If I don't do things right, I don't give myself the best opportunity to play the way I did and come in and seem to seamlessly fit into the squad, into the team.
“Everything I do is geared up for these opportunities. Obviously, it happened a couple of times last year, Arsenal away and Newcastle away, to be specific, Palace at home was another one where Sa went down in the warmup. It’s something I don’t want to say I'm used to, but something that I always have to expect, because when I'm put in these positions, it's a sink or swim question scenario. Thankfully, due to my preparation, and the way I do things, hopefully I give myself the best chance to step in and do a good job.”
"To get three points here is really important, and to make it five on the bounce is a fantastic feeling for all of us. We're delighted."
— Wolves (@Wolves) April 20, 2025
Dan Bentley's thoughts after #MUNWOL 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/iu5WigYZyP
On the positive momentum continuing
“It's difficult to put a finger on something specific, but I think mentality plays a huge, huge part in what we're doing at the moment. The manager is really big on that. It’s obviously great to get results from us digging in and sticking together as a team when the performances aren't too good, that's the sign of a good, strong, cohesive team. I think that's really what we are the minute – we're in a really good place.
“Not our best performance, to be honest, but an effective one. We got three points, and that is the main thing. Obviously, we based the foundations off a clean sheet, which is a group mentality thing, in my opinion, and the way we defended, the steeliness that we had, bodies on the line when needed, to get three points is obviously a really important thing for us. To make it five on the bounce is a fantastic feeling for all of us, so we’re delighted.”
On keeping a crucial clean sheet
“It's fantastic, obviously, to come to this historic stadium, win the game, but not only win the game, keep a clean sheet as well, is something that I'll certainly say. It’s one of the best moments in my career, for sure. Credit to the boys, credit to the manager. We're in a really good spot at the moment, and it's down to us to make sure that we continue in the same vein. Perhaps the performance a little bit better next week, but we need to continue on the same trajectory, because we're in a good place.”
On staying in the game at 0-0
“That's the key. We didn't manage to hit the heights, we looked a little bit leggy, we were a little bit lacks in terms of second balls and keeping the ball and making sure that we switch play early enough, and keeping them moving around. We were a little bit sloppy in possession.
“When things aren't quite at the level you expect, you then have to dig in and make sure that you run more than they do, you have to make sure that you're more determined than they are, and rely on a little bit of quality. Thankfully, with Pablo and with other players in the past, we've got quality that can go and win us games regardless of the team performance.
“Pablo has got tremendous quality. He's obviously played at the top level for a long time, and we know the qualities that he possesses. I was really happy for him, to see him get the winner.”
