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alamo50
07-22-2006, 09:35 AM
By Richard Clarke
Arsenal.com

Arsenal supporters will sing “we’ve got Dennis Bergkamp” for the last time on Saturday

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/41911000/jpg/_41911682_bergkamp_416.jpg

The 37-year-old Dutch striker is one of the greatest players to play the game let alone pull on a red and white shirt. So it is fitting that his final match should be a star-studded testimonial game to open Emirates Stadium.

Bergkamp and the new ground have much common. They are both huge in footballing stature, Arsenal to the core and very accommodating. At his final press conference as a professional footballer, Bergkamp seemed touched to have been granted the honour of having the first match.

“It feels right to have a taste of Emirates Stadium,” he said. “It says a lot about the club and the people I have worked with. You see the fans buying tickets and then others saying they can’t get any because they are sold out. When that happens it really comes to your mind that people do appreciate what you have done and they want to pay that back in some sort of way.

“Last season I slowly got into the idea that I was retiring. But this game really will be my last one. You are always going to miss a lot of things: the simple things - the dressing room, the humour then the going into training then there are the big things playing in full stadiums and feeling the pressure.

“I have been playing football as a professional since I was 17 and I joined Ajax when I was 12. So it is 25 years football has been my life. That will end on Saturday afternoon and that will be strange.”

It must be remembered that when Bergkamp broke the mould when he came over here. He was not only a foreign player but a world name. Few of those had been seen in England before he moved from Inter in 1995. Technically excellent, wonderfully wise and deadly in the penalty area, the discipline and commitment that made him exceptional has now become the rule for any ambitious English footballer. He also helped change 'boring, boring Arsenal' into one of the most attractive sides in Europe. But he is quick to give others credit for that as well.

“Maybe in years to come and I will look back on this period maybe I will see the difference in the Club,” he said. “I do think I had a contribution to the attacking style. The statistics are certainly good in my Arsenal career. But there are so many other factors as well. Maybe I was part of it at the start but then the boss came. After that Overmars, Vieira, Petit, came in too.

“If you look at this team now they are all world-class players. Maybe they would not have played 15 years ago but they do now.”

Saturday’s friendly will be a game of two halves; the current Arsenal and Ajax squad contesting the first, all-time XIs from the two clubs contesting the second. Ian Wright, Patrick Vieira and Johan Cruyff are confirmed, a host of big names will join them.

“It is going to be special,” said Bergkamp. “I had a little bit of an experience with DB10 Day last season. That was quite emotional, this going to be a bit more. The most important thing is that I enjoy the day and share it with some of the other players.”

It is customary for the testimonee to get a goal on his big day. Some of the proceeds of the gate are going to charity but Bergkamp does not want the same from his fellow players.

“I don’t think they will [gift a goal] and if they did I would feel a little bit embarrassed. If it is my own effort then fine.”

To be honest the best defences in the world have barely been able to stop Dennis Bergkamp so Saturday’s sides don’t stand much of a chance.

* Event starts at 4.15pm.

Link (http://www.arsenal.com/matchreport.asp?thisNav=fixtures&fxid=295613)

:worthy:

Duncan21
07-22-2006, 01:05 PM
dennis bergkamp will be missed, i enjoyed watching him play smart football every week.

theres not many players like dennis

velik_m
07-22-2006, 03:03 PM
Bergkamp is one of the greatest players and my favourite attacker. i'm sad to see him rnd his career, but i'm proud i have been a witness to his many goals.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40Ujb1WaeMg

i dub this the year of Bergkamp. now to find out where i put his avatar.

velik_m
07-23-2006, 02:11 AM
Bergkamp given rousing farewell

Dennis Bergkamp bowed out of football on a entertaining, celebratory opening day at Arsenal's new Emirates Stadium.

A sell-out crowd revelled in seeing some of the club's greats play in a second-half Legends match against Bergkamp's first club, Dutch side Ajax.

Ian Wright, Emmanuel Petit, Patrick Vieira and Marc Overmars were some of the names to return for the Gunners.

And 59-year-old Johan Cruyff and Holland manager Marco van Basten came on for Ajax in the last 10 minutes.

Ajax's Dutch international striker Klass-Jan Huntelaar had the honour of scoring the first goal at the 60,000 capacity stadium in a first half in which the clubs sent out a host of youngsters for a regulation pre-season run-out.

Huntelaar went close on a couple of occasions before turning in Edgar Manucharyan's low, flat cross from the left.

After the break the girths were a little wider and the legs, in some cases, a bit slower than in their heyday as a new match began between two teams of legends.

But it was Arsenal's only present day player on show who gave Arsenal the lead.

Thierry Henry, having chartered a private jet to fly back from a family holiday in the USA for the match, converted Lee Dixon's cross to the delight of the home fans.

And after Ronald De Boer blazed a penalty over following Gilles Grimandi's foul on Tottenham's Edgar Davids - the day's pantomime villain, Kanu's deflected shot made it two to Arsenal.

He may not have scored, despite being put through one-on-one on the right in the closing minutes, but the day was all about one man and Bergkamp was given a rousing send off.

"If I was to have a testimonial it was always going to be against Ajax and their fans have put in a lot of effort to come here," he said in an emotional speech after the final whistle when he gave thanks to one and all.

"My mum and dad were always there from the beginning and have probably seen every game.

"And my wife has been amazing over the years. You can't do a career like this alone and if it wasn't for her I would not be here.

"It's difficult to say goodbye. I've had a fantastic time over the last 11 years and a big part were the fans and how they treated me - they have been fantastic."

Bergkamp was carried shoulder high during a lap of honour by Vieira and Henry - Arsenal captains past and present.

It was applauded long and loud by the legends on the pitch as well as the crowd who have marvelled at his Arsenal displays for the last 11 years during which he has scored 120 goals in 423 games.

Story from BBC SPORT:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/sport2/hi/football/teams/a/arsenal/5203954.stm

alamo50
07-23-2006, 10:03 AM
It's still so damn sweet to watch Van Basten at work.......

Now another AJAX schooled player has left the international top stage of the biggest sport in the world in the name of Bergkamp.

Damn, I am getting old............

velik_m
07-25-2006, 02:22 AM
This is a nice collection of his goals: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCEXkik6Iuk&mode=related&search=bergkamp

this too: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybE2FUnGQWc&search=bergkamp

Duncan21
07-25-2006, 05:13 AM
This is a nice collection of his goals: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCEXkik6Iuk&mode=related&search=bergkamp

this too: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybE2FUnGQWc&search=bergkamp

the first goal in the first movie is my favourite bergkamp goal, i could watch that over and over again

Texas_Ranger
07-25-2006, 10:20 AM
Bergkamp is a great player, I will miss him.