Bent return confirmed

Football club chairman Richard Murray has confirmed that Charlton have recalled Marcus Bent from his loan spell with Premier League Wigan Athletic.

Marcus Bent scored six times during his loan spell at Wigan

After starting the first four games for Charlton in the Championship last season, Bent joined the Latics for the remainder of the 2007/08 campaign, playing a key role in their successful battle against relegation.

Bent reached two milestones before departing for the North West - his strike for Charlton against Scunthorpe United on the opening day of the season was his 100th career goal and he then brought up a half century of appearances for the Addicks in the Carling Cup clash at Swindon Town.

The striker has made 52 appearances for Charlton and scored five times, one of which came in a 3-2 defeat at the JJB Stadium on November 11th, 2006 - the last goal of the Iain Dowie reign.

Wigan represented a 10th club for Bent, who has also featured for Brentford, Crystal Palace, Port Vale, Sheffield United, Blackburn Rovers, Ipswich Town, Leicester City and Everton.

And the Hammersmith-born frontman enjoyed a good start to life at the JJB Stadium, netting on only his third appearance for the Latics in a 2-1 defeat to Reading.

He went on to score a further six times for Wigan, a tally that included a hat-trick in an astonishing 5-3 win over local rivals Blackburn.

Bent finished the season as Wigan's top scorer, despite failing to find the back of the net since the turn of the year.

The 30-year-old has since returned to The Valley and Murray told the official website: "We've recalled him from his year-long loan from Wigan where he was their top goalscorer and we will be distributing his name to other clubs to let them know he is available for transfer.

"I felt Marcus did really well at Wigan and I'm sure another Premier League club will come in for him."

Bent was former manager Alan Curbishley's only signing of the January 2006 transfer window when he joined from Everton for a fee of £2.5m.

And the hitman made an immediate impression for the Addicks when, on his debut away against Chelsea the same month, he scored a goal that would lead to the only points the Blues dropped at home all season in a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge.

The 2006/07 campaign was a frustrating one for Bent and he scored just two goals as the Addicks were relegated to the Championship.