Beyond statistics and words, Dennis Bergkamp was a footballing genius

Dennis Bergkamp football story is one to reckon in a world where statistics and words judge the game.

It is true that every player at the end of the game is supposed to account for his contribution in the field. Players have been judged as per their output. it is saves, goals and assists that majorly count in the game, sometimes the possession is an added advantage.

With many variable also taken into consideration for the arrival of the said statistics by the football insiders, it is much more important for football supporters to avoid being too fixated by statistics. To do so would be to forget why we watch the game in the first place: to be entertained, to be inspired, to experience joy.

For that, we need artists. The footballing Da Vincis and Picassos so to speak. Players that mesmerize us. Players we’ll remember. Players we try to emulate on the pitch.

Dennis Bergkamp sits at the forefront of that genre. As a No.10 for most of his career, his statistics are mightily impressive, but they still don’t do him justice. They can’t describe his brilliance.

He set the bar for what it means to be a footballing artist.

He grow up in the leafy suburbs of Amsterdam with a dream to become a professional footballer. his mentor in the football scene was Glenn Hoddle and wanted to emulate him.

He emulated his mentor, worked so hard and became known for his ball control, vision and ability to use either foot, but genius, of course, does not come through nurture. It was already inside of him.

Step ahead

In 1981, Ajax came calling for young Dennis Bergkamp who accepted their offer this time round, The first time they wanted to sign him to their academy Bergkamp’s mother refused with him a year earlier citing unhealthy competitive football.

At the academy, there was an emphasis on enjoying the game amid a competitive environment, something which clearly resonated with Bergkamp and remained evident throughout his career.

Dennis Bergkamp; photo/courtesy

“I love playing football, being out on the pitch with a ball,” he said later in his career. That much was obvious.

Dennis Bergkamp had established himself as the best player in the academy camp, making his first senior appearance in 1986 at 17 years of age. he was given the opportunity by the legendary Johan Cruyff against Roda JC.

He scored his first goal a few months later and finished that season with 23 appearances, a Dutch Cup and UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup medal to his name. He was well on his way in his development into one of de Godenzonen’s most exceptional players.

He won the Eredivisie title in 1990- Ajax’s first league title in five years- and, by now playing up front as opposed to on the wing where he had first broken through, Bergkamp scored 25 goals in 33 league games in the 1990-91 season.

He added another 50 over the next two seasons before opting for a change of scenery at the end of the 1992-93 season.

Johan Cruyff who had been hired by Barca made subtle attempts to convince Bergkamp to make a switch to the Blaugrana, but with Bergkamp’s sights solely set on Italy, he narrowed his options down to Juventus and Internazionale.

It was the latter who managed to lure Bergkamp to the San Siro with the promise of playing more attacking football, but it did not last during what turned out to be an incredibly frustrating season for him.

He scored only eight league goals, though he bagged a further eight in Europe to help Inter lift the UEFA Cup.

The Dutchman’s second season in Serie A, however, was far worse. The Italian media was against him, and he was weighed down by a general feeling of fatigue. He scored just five goals in 26 appearances that season.

By that time, it was clear that his relationship with Inter was not meant to be. When Massimo Moratti purchased the club in 1995, he sought an exit, and it was Arsenal that offered him a way out.

The start at Arsenal

Bergkamp’s time in Italy was detrimental to his football CV, it aided his mentality. He became more resilient and smarter on the pitch.

He was unfazed by the early criticism from the English media and kept on playing his natural game knowing full well it was only a matter of time before he started scoring.

Dennis Bergkamp; photo/courtesy

Seven games into his Arsenal career, Bergkamp finally found the back of the net against Southampton. He ended his first Premier League season with a decent tally of 11 goals in 33 appearances as the Gunners finished fifth.

It wasn’t until a young Arsene Wenger was brought in to replace Rioch after a few months of the following season that things really began to click for Arsenal and Bergkamp, but you have to wonder whether the Gunners would still have enjoyed the most successful period in their history were it not for that brave piece of transfer business by Rioch.

Either way, it was Wenger who saw the Picasso in Bergkamp. He recognised the ex-Ajax man had a special skillset, built his side around him and gave him a new purpose on the pitch as the man through which attacks would be built.

Bergkamp scored one more goal in three fewer league appearances that season, but, crucially, he also registered 13 assists as he became as accustomed to creating goals as scoring them.

First Arsenal hat-trick

He enjoyed the best goal-scoring return of his Arsenal career in 1997-98 to help Wenger’s side win the double, scoring 16 in the league and 22 in total, including his first hat-trick for the club against Leicester.

His third goal was one of his most memorable of all time.

Allowing a lofted pass into the area to come over his shoulder, he controlled the ball with his right, moved it away from the defender with his left, took a third touch to set himself and then used his fourth to stick it past Kasey Keller into the top corner.

Video courtesy;

Along with his goals against Newcastle United and for the Netherlands against Argentina, it will forever be spoken about.

Bergkamp was named the PFA Player of the Year that season, becoming only the third non-British footballer to win the award.

Though his goal-scoring dropped off after that, his contribution to the Arsenal cause certainly did not as he gradually built a partnership with Thierry Henry which will go down as one of the greatest of the Premier League era.

And in 2001-02 he helped Arsenal win the double for the second time under Wenger as they saw off Manchester United, Liverpool, Leeds United and Newcastle to win an incredibly competitive title race, with Henry, Robert Pires, Freddie Ljungberg and Bergkamp all playing particularly significant roles.

Newcastle masterpiece

But one of the highlights of that epic season was the goal Bergkamp scored against Newcastle.

It was a true masterpiece and still regarded as one of the best goals in Premier League history, 20 years on.

Later Years

Two seasons later, with Bergkamp still the fulcrum of Wenger’s side, Arsenal incredibly went the entire Premier League campaign without suffering defeat to win the title again, finishing 11 points ahead of Chelsea.

By now it was Henry that was leading by example as he bagged a whopping 30 goals in the league alone, but even at 34 Bergkamp still played a major role, contributing four goals and nine assists in 29 appearances.

Dennis Bergkamp – a symbol of elegance; photo courtesy

The Gunners failed to retain the Premier League trophy the following season, finishing second, but Bergkamp enjoyed a more prolific campaign, bagging eight goals and 13 assists.

For him to hit those figures aged 36 says a lot about his fitness levels but more importantly his speed of thought which made up for any lack of pace in his twilight years.

On the final day of the season, Arsenal thrashed Everton 7-0, a game in which Bergkamp bagged a hat-trick of assists and a goal that earned him the Man of the Match award.

“One more year” the Arsenal fans shouted, in a spirited attempt to see their Dutch artist for one more season. And it worked: Bergkamp duly put pen to paper on a one-year contract extension after the FA Cup final win over Manchester United.

Bergkamp was limited to just eight league starts and 16 substitute appearances in that final season, but it was worth it. It was as important for the fans and the club to show their appreciation to Bergkamp as it was the other way around.

‘Bergkamp Day’ was even organized for a game against West Brom. Fittingly, he stepped off the bench with the score at 1-1 to set up Pires for a goal which put Arsenal ahead before scoring a third himself-his last ever goal- in the 89th minute.

It was not a great season for the Gunners, but fans got to enjoy Bergkamp’s artistry for that little bit longer before saying goodbye to one of their greatest ever players.

There have been and will be more phenomenal goal-scorers. But there will only ever be one Dennis Bergkamp – the ultimate footballing genius.