David Michael Bentley was born in Peterborough on August 27, 1984. He started his was signed as a youth by Arsenal at age 13 and made his first team debut in Janaury 2003 as a substitute. However, opportunities were limited and he spent the 2004-5 season on loan to Norwich playing 26 games and scoring 2. On his return to Arsenal he submitted a transfer request and after being linked to a number of clubs he was signed on loan by Blackburn. The move was made permanent in January 2006 for an undisclosed sum.

David Bentley has already achieved a number of remarkable milestones. He was the first, and currently only, player to score a hat-trick against Manchester United in the Premier League (a feat achieved in his first game as a Blackburn player). He is also the first Englishman to score at the new Wembley stadium against Italy in the U-21 game on 24th March, 2007. In his first full season at Blackburn he was voted player of the year.