“SIGNING BERGKAMP WAS A GAME- CHANGER”

FFT quizzes two key former foes and a superfan for their take on the Gunners great

JAMIE CARRAGHER ON FACING DENNIS

“It wasn’t until you got onto a pitch with Dennis Bergkamp that you realised how big and powerful he actually was. You watched him on TV, saw what a silky player he was and thought, ‘ Well OK, you can maybe bully him’. But he was so strong.

“He had a nasty streak in him, as I found out once – he caught me with a couple of hefty tackles and got sent off at Highbury. But I still think he’s one of the legends of the Premier League.

“Sometimes, guys who play just behind the striker don’t score goals, but if you look at Dennis’ record throughout his career, he scored a lot of goals as well – certainly at the start of his career with Ajax. He scored famous goals, too: you immediately think of that one against Argentina.

“For me, Thierry Henry is the best player in Premier League history, but Bergkamp took Arsenal from a team fighting for the top five or six places, to a team that won the title in 1998. He was player of the year that season, and it elevated the Gunners to being the team regularly going for titles with Manchester United. Signing him was a game- changer for Arsenal.”

NIKOS DABIZAS ON THAT GOAL

“The game before Newcastle played Arsenal, we won 1- 0 against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light – I remember it because I scored! Arsenal was a big match for us, and trying to mark Dennis was always a big challenge. When you came up against a physical player, you prepared yourself for a battle. Against him, it was also a psychological one. You had to be on your toes all the time. He was smart.

“To score the goal he scored that day, everything had to be perfect. It was like a perfectly- written script, an act of genius. I had to watch it back on Match of the Day to check what he had actually done.

“Before he received the ball, I was well positioned. I wasn’t tight to him, but I wasn’t too far away either. But the control, the direction of the ball, the spin, the reaction… the whole thing was unbelievable. When I realised he was turning around me, I tried to bring him down, but he didn’t go to ground. Thank God he didn’t, as the goal would not have been witnessed.

“People still remind me of it, not only in Greece but all over the world. Some have said that I was the negative piece of that action, but for me it was the total opposite. I was so proud to be present, to be part of a piece of football history. You can just hold your hands up. It wasn’t a matter of me being humiliated by Bergkamp – it was a work of art.”

TIM STILLMAN: THE SUPPORTER’S VIEW

“We’ve got Dennis Bergkamp! We’ve got Dennis Bergkamp! “For 11 years, that simple chant tumbled from the stands at Highbury, and up and down the country. It wasn’t even sung to a recognisable tune. It was a chant in the literal sense and an affirmation – initially, one of sheer disbelief – ‘ OMG! WE’VE GOT DENNIS BERGKAMP!’

“As the seasons rolled on and Dennis’ showreel continued to expand, the song soundtracked his moments of genius. To many Arsenal fans, the Dutchman is the finest player to don the red shirt – but that only partially explains his popularity. His longevity adds to the legend: he spent 11 seasons with the Gunners, when he would have walked into any team in the world for at least eight of those. He didn’t court suitors, even though he would have found plenty if he had.

“Bergkamp came to the club from Inter when Arsenal fans weren’t accustomed to footballers from outside the UK, Ireland and Scandinavia. He arrived when Arsenal had finished 12th in the Premier League and lost a European final to a last- minute, 45- yard lob from an ex- Tottenham player. Our self- esteem was at a low.

“Signing him immediately addressed our wounded self- image. We had glimpsed his huge talent before that, but couldn’t appreciate his steeliness. Sometimes he enjoyed the physical side of the English game a little too much, but it was fine with us. It helped dispel some of those preconceptions that foreign imports were subjected to. “He retired at the right time as well. Nobody would have been disappointed to see him continue. His legacy was not complicated by decline, but most of us knew it was the right time, especially as his retirement coincided with Arsenal’s move to the Emirates.

“His arrival was joyful, and his departure as perfectly judged as his touch. We had Dennis Bergkamp. We still talk about him all the time.”