Fellow gunners the name Dennis Bergkamp rings a familiar bell and flashbacks of beautiful memories on and off the pitch. The Non-Flying Dutchman joined Arsenal in 1995 and served the club for 11 years. He played 423 games (345 starts, 78 as a sub) scoring 120 goals earning his rightful place amongst Arsenals legends.
Below is the list of Top Ten quotes by our legend compiled by theclockend.com.
1. Back In My Day
A reporter once questioned Dennis over Arsene Wengers footballing philosophy of playing beautiful, but not winning trophies. In response, Bergkamp thought hed reminisce over his own glory days at the club, and in the process, defend the beautiful style of football Arsene strives for.
Arsène Wengers idea is not only to play good football. Its to play good football to win. In my day, we knew that with our style we could hurt teams and win trophies too. But we did it our way, with the positional game, passing, movement.
2. Im Going To Turn Him.
Dennis Bergkamps famous goal against Newcastle was voted the best in Arsenal history by Arsenal fans two seasons ago, and for good reason. In this quote, Dennis takes us through his thought process as he received the ball, and what he did once it arrived. For me, reading this quote makes the goal even better.
Ten yards before the ball arrived I made my decision: Im going to turn him. I knew where Dabizas was. The thought was, just flick the ball and see what happens. Maybe hell block it, or the flick wont be wide enough, or hell anticipate and get two yards ahead. Or maybe hell be surprised and Ill be one or two yards in front of him. As it happened, I still wasnt in front of him, so I had to push him off. So you need some luck as well
3. Its a Question of Mathematics.
Bergkamp not only loves the idea of beautifying the sport, but he does so based primarily on mathematics and logic. Its fair to say that without such a mindset, he wouldnt have been the player we came to know & love. No wonder Bergkamp & Wenger got on like a house on fire. Whats the Dutch for Le Professeur?
When I played in Holland, I always tried to lob the goalkeeper. People used to say, Oh, youre always only trying to make a nice goal. But I said, listen, if the goalie is a little bit off his line, how much space do you have on his left or right? Its not a lot. And how much space do you have above him? There is more. Its a question of mathematics.
4. Anybody Had an Affair?
Dennis was always a humble, soft-spoken man. He was classy. So the blunt attitude of the English Media towards Football players having extra-marital affairs was surprising to him. Id have loved to have seen his face.
Here, at Arsenal, we are often surprised when we are shown some of the newspapers, and at the bottom of an article there is a line saying if you know of anyone who had an affair with a player, call this number. It is very strange to us.
5. People Say Money Doesnt Really Matter
Money & wages play a huge part in football, especially today. Perhaps some fans get the wrong impression over players demanding higher wages, because Dennis gives us another insight into the mind of a Footballer here.
People can say the money doesnt really matter but it does show you how much a club respects you.
6. Nice For Me, Better For Arsenal.
A prime example of just why Dennis Bergkamp is such a colossal Arsenal Legend. Upon receiving an award, Bergkamp played down its importance to him personally, and instead took the opportunity to praise his beloved Arsenal. What a true Gunner.
I think these awards are always nice for a player but they also reflect well on the club. It shows that Arsenals performance have been noted all around the world and it helps by having so many good players around me.
7. I Live a Very Ordinary life.
Many Footballers today enjoy overpriced cars, extended party sessions, and so forth. The glamorous life of women and money is at their fingertips. Yet Dennis Bergkamp was never privy to any of that kind of behaviour. For him, the simple life was far more appealing.
I love the balance I have as a Football player. I come in and train in the mornings, and in the afternoon I live a very ordinary life.
8. Do You Like Arsenal?
This particular quote has gained itself a huge reputation over the last year or so. Dennis Bergkamp was asked about the lack of silverware at Arsenal, and the Dutchman was poised with one of the best Arsenal quotes Ive ever seen. Spot on Dennis.
I really like Arsenal. But you, do you like Arsenal? Or just Arsenal with Trophies?
9. Other Clubs Never Came Into My Thoughts.
We all know how much Dennis Bergkamp loves Arsenal. But this quote in particular shows that he had a deep-lying respect for the Gunners, even before he arrived.
Other clubs never came into my thoughts once I knew Arsenal wanted to sign me.
10. I Dont Want To Lose Myself In Football
The final quote to make the cut, is a sad one. Many Arsenal fans hoped that perhaps one day Dennis Bergkamp would manage Arsenal. His humility, tactical knowledge and sheer class make him a fan favourite. But this quote will unfortunately put many of those dreams to rest.
I dont want to lose myself in football and thats what a coach has to do to be successful.
No 8 is my favourite quote, whats yours?
