Prima Ballerina on football shoes

10 Chapters on Arsenal’s most famous no. 10 (apologies to all other great number 10s of Highbury Park)

November 1986; the youth team of Ajax is surprised when one Johan Cruyff decides to train the team for once. The young Dennis is not a regular in the A1 team, but Cruyff likes the modest youngster and a couple of weeks later, he makes the leap from the A2 team into Ajax 1, against Roda JC. The most famous no. 14 tells Bergkamp after the match to consider to leave school: “You’ll become one of the biggest players ever.”

October 1992; RKC goalie Teeuwen stares desperately at the white Derby Star ball, which is seemingly in slow motion on it’s way to the net. Teeuwen doesn’t even jump for the ball. “A goal from another planet”, Louis van Gaal quips. Dennis did not invent the chip, but still he is the king. Perfect timing, coordination and intuition. Bergkamp pursues perfection, and is somewhat criticized for it. He is a dreamer, he lacks the winners mentality. “Nonsense,” Bergkamp would remark, “I fight for victory just like any other player, but I do it my way.”

June 1993; A forced smile on his face, when he enters the balcony of the Hotel Palace in Milano. The Inter tifosi don’t sing, they scream! Bergkamp is startled by their agression. Here he is, a humble blond kid from Holland, used to eating potatoes and gravy. He reads books, doesn’t go out, doesn’t care for the latest fashion, hairstyles or Italian cars. The artist is a prisoner of Inter’s anti-football and his tenure would last two years. Dennis and buddy Wim Jonk will win the UEFA cup, but the passion and love are not part of the prices they get. Bergkamp closes like an oyster. “Bergkamp is a freak, a loner,” Ruben Sosa would tell the press.

October 1994; AD journalist Muller made a joke in the US, at the WC. He flew with the Dutch team and said to the stewardess that he had a bomb in his bag. The flight was delayed for 8 hours. Bergkamp was not amused. In October ’94 he’d fly for the last time with Oranje. His fear of flying is the most personal anecdote he offers the press about himself. “A combination of turbulence and airbags…,” he would later say.

June 1995; A bit of a gamble, Bergkamp would later admit. Arsenal is in ’95 that boring team of football playing alcoholics. Bruce Rioch is a classic English manager. Kick and rush and flying tackles. Still, Bergkamp shines in his Gunners’ shirt. Glenn Hoddle is his idol. North London attracts him more than the Italian swamp of stress and catenaccio. Nick Hornsby would say: “The football of your dreams is played either in the past, or in the future. Except when Bergkamp plays. He plays dream football in the here and now…”

January 1997; The dreamer gets himself a red card. Bergkamp the sissy, the dreamer has become a man. Paul Bracewell witnesses Bergkamp doing something he rarely does…the flying tackle. Bergkamp would show Mihajlovic – and the world – at the 98 WC that the boy became a man… If the referee would’ve seen it, we would not have had the one particular goal against Argentina…

June 1998, It’s not just the artistic perfection, the otherworldy way he controls De Boer’s pass… It’s also his timing. In the dying seconds of one of the most gripping matches played at a WC, Holland – Argentina. Bergkamp was never without criticism in Holland. Did he actually deserve his spot in the squad? Yes he did! He may look lazy, at times. Uninspired. And yes, that evening in Marseille, most Dutch fans screamed for a substitution. But as a prima ballerina, suddenly out of nowhere, he demotes Ayala and caresses past Roa. He puts his hands to his face and drops on to the grass… Goosepimps.

March ’02; Every master has his masterpiece… Bergkamp signs his at St James’ Park, March 3, 2002. His goal against Argentina was much more important, he himself liked his stunning strike against Leicester much better but this one against Newcastle has BERGKAMP written all over it. Dabizas is standing behind Dennis in the box. He receives the ball from the left, standing with his back to the goal. He quickly and softly chips the ball to create a counter-effect – like with billiards. The ball passes the Greek defender at one side, Bergkamp passes Dabizas at the other. The ball and the striker meet eachother behind the defender, in front of Given who gazes at the spectable as if frozen. “I had to go in that direction anyway.” Dennis would remark deadpan after the match.

April 2006; “Bergkamp doesn’t fly, he walks on water” the flag on the North Bank says. April 15 is Dennis Bergkamp day. At first the day was called “Legends”, but the Arsenal fan-club overruled that decision. “There’s only one legend at Arsenal”, they stated so it became Dennis Bergkamp day. The stands are colored in Orange and the fans get what they want. Arsenal wins 3-1 against West Brom. Dennis comes on as a sub, gives an assist and scores a brilliant goal. There’s only one Dennis Bergkamp…

May 2006; Wenger will never get a heart attack. Because he doesn’t have a heart. Arsenal is hurt in the CL finales against Barcelona. Wenger needs to do something. But he looks straight through the miracle man and points at Reyes. Bergkamp first CL finales and last official match for Arsenal and he remains seated on the bench. Arsenal loses, justice is done as far as Wenger goes… But to see Dennis pick up his losers’ medal in a clean sweatless shirt hurts the eyes.