'THE King is dead, long live the King'. Darren Bent will be in the opposition ranks when Sunderland entertain Aston Villa this afternoon, but Steve Bruce is tipping Nicklas Bendtner to become the terrace hero his predecessor could have been.

Ten months after leaving Wearside in a £24m move, Bent is assured of a rough reception when he makes his first return to the Stadium of Light.

The striker looked like etching his name into Sunderland folklore when he claimed 24 Premier League goals in his maiden campaign, but the manner of his departure, in which he submitted a transfer request in order to force through a move, soured his relationship with the red-and-white faithful.

Asamoah Gyan proved an inadequate replacement, flattering to deceive in the second half of last season before joining Al-Ain on loan, and Bruce was forced to turn to Bendtner on August transfer-deadline day in an attempt to recruit the kind of prolific centre-forward that has always been held in such high esteem in the North-East.

The Dane has hit the ground running, scoring two goals in his last two matches, and Bruce feels he boasts all the attributes required to make a massive impression for the Black Cats.

"Nicklas is exactly the kind of character to become an iconic centre-forward," said the Sunderland boss, who is set to pair the 23-year-old with Connor Wickham for the second game in a row this afternoon.

"He has the temperament, the swagger and the arrogance, if you like, that makes a good, good player. Sunderland need people like him because, as a guy, nothing is going to faze him.

"He's had a wonderful start, but it's only a start. There's no limits to what he could go on to achieve. If he maintains the way he's been playing, he'll have a great season and then he can go to the Euros and be as big as any player out there."

Prior to leaving for Poland and Ukraine, Bendtner will have to make a decision on his future, and Bruce intends to do everything he can to turn his current loan arrangement into a permanent transfer.

It will not be easy. Arsenal will demand up to a £10m fee, Bendtner is understood to be earning more than £60,000-a-week, a figure in excess of what the Black Cats would be willing to pay, and if Arsene Wenger decides to sell in the summer, other clubs, some of which would no doubt be able to offer European football, are sure to join the race for his signature.

Nevertheless, a successful season for player and club would strengthen Sunderland's hand, and Bruce has seven months in which to put forward his case.

"It is going to be difficult, but we will try," he said. "We have not been quoted a fee, but given a war chest, he would be the first one I would try to tie up.

"It's a vitally important position for any club because you are only as good as your strikers. You can find a hairy-arsed centre-half anywhere, they're ten a penny.

"Perhaps not as common as they used to be, but you can find one. But a Premier League striker? They are like gold dust, so that always has to be the challenge."

Bruce thought he had solved the puzzle when Bent arrived from Tottenham in 2009. The England international was the Sunderland manager's first marquee signing, and had he not swapped London for the North-East, it is questionable whether some of the club's other high-profile additions would have been so willing to move to Wearside.

Initially, things went well, but Bent's head was turned by a possible transfer to Turkey, and when former chairman Niall Quinn refused to discuss an improved contract, the stage was set for an acrimonious move to Villa Park.

"What happened doesn't hurt," said Bruce. "But it disappoints me. I've been involved in football long enough not to be surprised by anything, but he was difficult to replace.

"There was no question we would miss him. If you take away one of your best players, you're always going to miss them.

"If you look at the 18-month period Darren was here, only Wayne Rooney scored more goals. That puts into perspective what he did.

"That is why we did not want him to go. But it happened, it's history, it's finished. I do believe the club has recovered and moved on."

For 90 fractious minutes this afternoon, though, the past will return. Sunderland supporters have been waiting for their opportunity to let Bent know what they think of him, and one suspects it will not make easy listening for a player who always professed a strong emotional bond with the fans.

"It will certainly be a cauldron, and that can only lift the atmosphere in the stadium," said Bruce. "Regardless of everything else that's going on, we have to use that to our advantage."