I’m an Aston Villa legend but hated January transfer window – paying £24m for Darren Bent scared me

For some players, the excitement of January can revive their careers and give them a new lease on life at a different club.

However, for others, it can be a long, stressful month where they don't know whether they are staying, going or being replaced.

That was the case for talkSPORT's Gabriel Agbonlahor, who spent his entire career at Aston Villa - but had to fight for his spot when new players arrived.

Speaking to talkSPORT, Agbonlahor said: "I thought January was always a bit of an odd window because, especially Premier League teams, why are you going to sell players in January?

"You're short on players, you never sort of see January as a big month, maybe the odd signing but you are always paying over the odds in January.

"Players didn't discuss wages in the dressing room, you did wonder if it was a big signing but it was just a wonder.

"But I did remember when Benty [Darren Bent] signed, I think it was January when Benty signed. And I was like, 'oh no, he's signed a striker'.

"I wasn't nervous but because he was so much money, I think he was a record for the club, you know he is going to play.

"So when Benty came in, I moved to the left but then Emile Heskey would play a bit, then Ashley Young was asking to play in the No. 10 role so the little b got the No. 10!

"Heskey was playing off the left, I was playing off the left, so the January signings sort of ruined the next half of the season for me, when Benty came in."

Bent and Agbonlahor are good pals now at talkSPORT, but at Villa, they were rivals.

Having been at the club his whole life, Agbonlahor had to face up to being pushed out wide to accompany Bent, who joined from Sunderland.

The striker moved in January 2011 to Villa Park for a fee of £18million, with add-ons that took the deal to £24m, a record for the club.

However, after an impressive start to life at Villa with nine goals in 16 appearances, Bent could not replicate his form under new manager Paul Lambert the following season.

The Scotsman handed him the captaincy only to strip him of it and give it to Ron Vlaar the same season while he preferred the strike partnership of Agbonlahor and Christian Benteke.

Bent was restricted to 22 Premier League appearances in 2011/12, netting nine times, before further tumbling down the pecking order.

Agbonlahor, meanwhile, continued as a key player at Villa and adapted to his left-wing role as he made a total of 391 appearances for the club.