Darren Bent has said that he would love to become as much of an icon at Aston Villa as Alan Shearer was at Newcastle.

Bent, who is the newest member of the Premier League's '100 goals club', admits to looking up to the former Toon forward and the league's all-time leading goalscorer ahead of his side's trip to Newcastle this afternoon.

"I don't think I could ever be hero-worshipped like Alan was at Newcastle," he said. "If I could be half the icon for Villa as he is at Newcastle, it would be amazing. And it would mean I was doing something right!

"He was a real icon of our domestic game and world football too. He was someone I looked up to. He was top-class. He was awesome as a centre-forward with Southampton, Blackburn, Newcastle and England. He was so good.

"Alan's goals-to-games ratio was frightening. He was a real fantastic striker."

Meanwhile, Villa will be aiming to move into the top half of the table with a win this weekend.