I got my diploma, so I can be a coach wherever I want to go now. Thierry Henry called you the best player he ever played with, but who would win in a one-on-one kickabout between you?Marvin Rose, ReadingWe never did that! The next year Arsene came and it all changed. Alex Feakes, SouthamptonThey expected me to talk to them every day in detail! The grass! They could have been hungrier. 29. Remembering Dennis Bergkamp on the day he was honoured at Premier League side Arsenal. Former Arsenal forward and club legend Dennis Bergkamp has said the London side chose not to sign his son after the young midfielder underwent a trial at the team's academy.. Bergkamp… How about that pass to Freddie Ljungberg against Juventus at Highbury, when you beat two players and dinked it over the top? It came down to Juventus or Inter. Spurs was mentioned, and that had been Hoddle's team, but even then I considered Arsenal to be a bit above Spurs. My brother Wim was there as well. Full Documentary | Dennis Bergkamp | Arsenal Legends - YouTube You can't defend that. So I remember coming up the stairs and then I met my agent. At that time he was always coming from somewhere and I could find him. That did calm me down, because I knew the way he liked to play at Monaco. How did you feel when part of the Italian media renamed their 'Donkey of the Week' award 'Bergkamp of the Week'? He would have beaten me for pace without a doubt. We were better than them. How much are you prepared to give? It becomes easy to defend. When I arrived the contract talks were still going on, and the medical had to be done. I loved it, especially: "How much do you want it?" Others at the club said I wasn't strong or aggressive enough, but he said: "Just look at the talent.". FourFourTwo is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. The thought of playing for Bayern, it just … didn't fit. He was a great finisher and had some great touches as well. England and Wales company registration number 2008885. They'd won the Cup Winners' Cup, they had Ian Wright, they had a settled team with eight or nine who always played. I feel it's dying, but other teams are growing. It was written in the stars that Bergkamp … I don't think of myself like that. It wasn't my quality to go in the box at the right time and tap in. We were the best team. Quickly, I go to Page 302, the football page, and there it is in more detail: "DUTCH STRIKER GOES FOR £7.5 MILLION." In truth, it isn't really an autobiography! You flashback to the sumptuous spin-and-delicate-lob assist for Freddie Ljungberg against Juventus in 2001, to the seemingly endless supply of defence-splitting passes for Ian Wright, Nicholas Anelka and Thierry Henry. 9 of the Best Goals of Dennis Bergkamp's (Brilliant) Career I decided I didn't want to wait. It's just not our thing to play dirty, and we shouldn't have done that. Tackles became more important, which we've never been good at. How did I do it? There is something mesmerising about what Bergkamp did at St James’ Park. Would you prefer Holland to win the World Cup playing dirty or lose playing Total Football?Chris Gallery, via TwitterThe World Cup Final leaves a bad taste because Holland played such good football leading up to the tournament, in the traditional Dutch way – attacking. I never expected to be there 11 years, but from day one it was exactly how I wanted it to be. “Most of the time I was by myself, just kicking the ball against the wall, seeing how it bounces, how it comes back, just controlling it. But I would say Thierry because I worked with him longer in training and we really had a partnership. My reaction after the goal was emotional because I remembered the dreams of the World Cup I had when I was seven or eight. When one ball is given, numbers two, three, four and five are moving already. ... Support. Just go behind the defender, I'll give you the ball and you're one-on-one with the goalkeeper. Arthur Potts, HalifaxAt that age, with the way I was playing, I was never worried about my place. They are just talking about money and this and that. ", After the press conference we get back to the hotel. I thought it was unbelievable. The cold snap has forced Ajax to cancel today's youth team training, so the club's legendary under-12s coach has agreed to meet us at a cosy cafe in the village of Baricum about 30 kilometres outside Amsterdam. You can compare it to a quarterback: you want to see and play the perfect pass. Dennis Bergkamp last night admitted he was thinking of seeking psychiatric help to conquer his fear of flying. Phillip told me it wasn't intentional. Maybe the first year they're not as good as other players, but just give them the experience and give them the confidence to play football. Premier League football has been blessed with an abundance of foreign talent since its formation in the early nineties, the cosmopolitan nature of England’s top tier providing supporters with players of vastly differing styles and skills. After Italy I had so many doubts. Extracted from STILLNESS AND SPEED by Dennis Bergkamp to be published by Simon & Schuster UK Ltd at £20 on Thursday, Readers of The Guardian can buy a copy of Stillness & Speed (RRP £20.00) at the special discounted price of £16.00 (including p&p). I was never nervous. Me! He kept telling me all the teams not to go to, leaving Barcelona as the only one left! They beat Lokomotiv Leipzig 1-0. I always had a picture in my head of how things would look two or three seconds later. I loved the passion, the crowds. I prefer defenders like Martin Keown who do their job and maybe have big mouths in the dressing room but in a funny way. And Ian Wright was great. To tell you the truth, when I was at Inter I was thinking of playing until I was about 28 and then going back to Holland. Online rumors of Dennis Bergkamps’s dating past may vary. I thought about it. But going against him... no! All orders are custom made and most ship worldwide within 24 hours. It's the English warrior tradition; a moral code. Dennis Bergkamp’s goal for Arsenal against Newcastle in 2002 has caused plenty of debate (Picture: Getty Images) Debate has been raging for 18 years over whether Dennis Bergkamp … In 1995, was there anywhere else you could have gone? I run in a straight line, jump up to meet the ball, kill it dead. They had done well in Europe, too: they'd won the Cup Winners' Cup in 1994 then been in the final again the following year. That knowledge would help him counteract whatever move his defender might make. And I saw in the room two people from Inter who were finalising the deal. Sometimes I feel we needed a bit less similarity. And so it was for Dennis Bergkamp. There were a few players who'd been there for 10 or 15 years – guys like Bergomi, Ferri and Battistini were Inter, and they were all really nice to me. I thought it would be easier for me to come into a team like that. And I can see myself doing that at Arsenal – I could be part of that staff. Did you find the English press easier than the Italian media? For the first time it hits me: "Woah! I learned to be more professional, learned to play against two or three defenders, and to play with players who are there for themselves rather than for the team. But inside I was really happy. The home game against West Bromwich Albion was chosen as ‘Dennis Bergkamp Day’, a real sign of how highly regarded he was by the club. I'm in this big country. They must rate me here, they still expect me to be like Van Basten or Gullit. Photograph: Tony Harris/PA Archive. First, there's eye contact with Frank de Boer – he's going to give the ball. My mind was set on England. They wanted me to talk all the time, and I said no. Arsenal wasn't as big then as it is now. When Bruce left I was worried about the Italian syndrome happening again. Even in training sessions there's so much respect that you wouldn't go at each other. Maybe he resented me a little but we never clicked on the pitch. Van Gelder’s cries of “DENNIS BERGKAMP! As normal, I look up the sports headlines on teletext. Nature! No.4, Dennis Bergkamp... as told by Nigel Winterburn, Arsenal was famous for having a big drinking culture in the '90s with the likes of Tony Adams, Paul Merson and Ray Parlour – was that a bit of a shock?Andy Edwards, LondonIt was something I just couldn't understand! But Italy was good for my development. And Kevin de Bruyne absolutely stuffs the stats! Pat Dixon, Rochdale In 1992 we were very close, but we had a team coming to its end. Let's see what happens." © In Holland we practise penalties all the time now! It was never a problem. Could he have joined Barcelona? In my mind, it's an authorised biography, not an autobiography. If only we'd taken an extra step, we would have been there easily. As soon as I saw the pitch, I thought: "This is fantastic! One evening he came to our training ground and took a session – that was really intimidating. And in 2008 they played that way against Italy and France. We had a good pre-season with Bruce and suddenly – bang – he's gone. It was perfect. You give absolutely everything, like your life is leading up to this moment. But if you compare it to success with Ajax, it's another step up. Upon… The Dutch teams aren't playing like that. There's a tremendous pleasure in doing something that someone else couldn't see. Years ago, when I joined the first team, with Cruyff, we played with two wingers – attractive, attacking football, and everyone in Europe was talking about us; us and Arsene Wenger's Monaco, who played the game in a similar way. This included support to the Kronendal Music Academy (founded 2007) which aims to bring together young people from different communities through playing music. Everybody accepted it. Off the pitch we had no problems at all. Marco van Basten has a different skill. Dennis Bergkamp joined Arsenal in 1995, having endured two mainly frustrating years at Internazionale. We were all technical players, all thinking, passing and playing in a good way. Even when I played well, I always had to defend myself. I need my private life as well, and in England the press respect that. You'd really try to have a good game against those players, and against defenders in general who would have an air like: "Look at me, I'm fantastic." For clubs in Holland, doing well in Europe meant getting past the quarter-finals. He was unbelievable at that. And then that was all done, and they opened the doors to the pitch. No chance! With other players you want to make a statement. Bergkamp will always be held in high regard amongst fans Jamie McDonald/Getty Images. I remember a lot of assists with Ashley Cole as well. Back in Holland I could do my coaching badges in one year. Through your spine you get a feeling and you get a little bit emotional as well. Germany was in the picture as well, but I just couldn't see myself there. Thank you for signing up to Four Four Two. My son was playing for a local team and I used to go with him to training. High quality Bergkamp gifts and merchandise. They made a lot of promises – which I found out later was something they did a lot. I just had a good feeling about them. That got me going. And the same in 2000 with the European Championship: we should have beaten Italy easily and got to the final. ", (c) 2013 by Dennis Bergkamp. Dutch Master Dennis Bergkamp sheds a tear at the unveiling of his statue at the Arsenal stadium and hints of a Highbury return as a coach. I'm in London. But I thought: Arsenal? He was unbelievable the way he helped me in my first season. Do you think your fear of flying ever affected your ability to play? And the feeling you get talking to him is remarkably like the one you had watching him play: you come away strangely enriched. This statistic shows which shirt numbers the palyer has already worn in his career. I have to step up.". And they say: "You didn't!" I love nice football but it has to mean something, and that got us to the World Cup semi-final. Visit our corporate site. Arsenal No.10: Dennis Bergkamp to William Gallas When Gallas went to Arsenal in 2006, two numbers were available: the No.3 Ashley Cole had vacated, or Denis Bergkamp… View stats of Forward Dennis Bergkamp, including goals scored, assists and appearances, on the official website of the Premier League. Marco said: "Why don't you do it with Ajax?" This time there was another boy from the area to go with. I couldn't take that seriously because of the Inter experience. We stayed in the Four Seasons hotel and Gary Lewin [the Arsenal chief physio] picked us up and took us to the stadium. Now I tell the boys I'm training: "Play with a smile on your face." But they were angry. Which strike partner did you most enjoying playing with – Van Basten, Henry, Kluivert, Wright, Anelka – and who was the best?Darren Johnson, Michigan, USAFor me it was always a matter of adjusting to someone else's game. But I felt a little bit embarrassed. Now he needs a Bruce Rioch rocket to make him get his finger out. So many. In 1994, the World Cup was a fantastic experience, but in the end I felt we were just not good enough to win it. In 1996, well, we know the problems. A hundred-odd goals, top scorer in the Dutch league for three seasons in a row... you went from being a great goalscorer at Ajax to a scorer of great goals for the rest of your career. Ten yards before the ball arrived, I made my decision to turn the defender. 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