Chapter 1: What transformation did Dennis Bergkamp bring to Arsenal?
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Sign up to Fuse Energy at fuseenergy.com slash football. Use the referral code football and you could also win a 1990 England shirt signed by the three of us. The rest is football. Hello and welcome to The Rest Is Football with Alan Shearer, Micah Richards and me, Gary Lineker. We're doing another episode on Premier League greats, the moments that made them.
And this time we're doing one of the invincibles. You probably grew up watching him play, Micah. You certainly watched him play from the other end of the pitch, scoring one of the all-time great goals and slightly controversial goals in the sense that some people don't think he meant it. about certain Dennis Bergkamp. I mean... Now we're cooking. Graceful.
Oh my God. He's up there with one of my favourite ever players. Really? That's how good he was. Touch, technique, playing people in. Like awareness on the pitch, leadership. Quite strong as well, isn't he? Quite strong for a big lad. But he's finishing. The art of finishing, just them delicate touches he had.
What a player he was. He was one of the first people I interviewed when I went into television. I was in their national team camp somewhere and he was really, really pleasant. Was he? Yeah. I don't think I've ever met him since, but I always remembered that because I was a bit in awe. Because even though I'd had a good career myself, but he was... A bit more gifted, let's say.
I met him at a hotel, and I was just like, I just have to shake your hand. He was just amazing. And he was just so humble.
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Chapter 2: What makes Bergkamp's goal against Newcastle unforgettable?
But growing up, that kit there was... What did you say? What did you say there?
That's for your punditry.
Not at all, not at all. I'm kidding. Look at that. It is just a thing of beauty. I don't know. You know? I don't know. Well, there you go, you see. Come on, Al, you've got to back me up on that.
No. I mean, I prefer what's inside it rather than the kit itself. Yeah. He was a genius. I'm not sure about the kit.
We're talking about the same thing?
Yeah. He was a spectacular footballer. It was interesting. I wonder whether you can say, I mean, when they signed him, I mean, you said it was Bruce Riok, wasn't it, the season before. I wonder if they take into account that point and did they know that he didn't like flying?
Well, yeah, that was incredible, wasn't it? European football and stuff like that. I mean, if it was God knows where it was, then he would have to miss the game. Or get a ferry or a car. Or get a ferry or a car or whatever, yes. I mean, that is a trip and a half, isn't it? Wherever, on a ferry and a car.
I don't blame him. I don't like flying.
Yeah, I know you don't fly, but you do fly.
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Chapter 3: How did Arsène Wenger influence Bergkamp's career at Arsenal?
Perez has found him. Dennis Bergkamp is in. And that is brilliant. A touch of glass.
world class you were playing alan you got a good view of this oh yeah and the argument will always be did he mean it and i i look at it and i think he certainly meant it to go in an area where he wanted to finish it and i it just looks to me like this is what he wanted to do well if it was any other player you'd question it but not
Him.
That's unbelievably skillful.
I mean, I'm probably on the halfway line at this stage just clapping. Yeah. I'd say, well done, wow, what have I just seen? Nick has dabbed his ass at the Gallagher end, I think it was.
I think he's instinctive, but I think he definitely wants to flick it into that area. Yeah, but you can see with his body language, look, he's off straight away. I wonder, though, whether... he wanted to actually drag it to the other side of his own body. That's what I think, but his natural movement would then be to turn that way.
So whilst I don't think he meant it to go behind his own back, because if you look here, that's a sideways, that's a normal thing to just take it onto that side. But if he meant that, I mean, he's even better than I thought he was. But I think he definitely meant to drag it one way, but I think it may have accidentally gone the other side of his body. But... It was instinctive, wasn't it?
Just a bit.
I just think because of his body shape, after the split second, look, he's off. He actually knows exactly where. I think you might be right. And even the strength to push Dabby's ass off the ball. I mean, everything about it is perfection. Because look, he's off now. He's gone, he's turned. Oh, there it is, yeah. I think he probably did.
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Chapter 4: What were the key moments in Bergkamp's hat-trick against Leicester?
So I think that sort of goal for me. We see lots of goals with side volleys and overhead kicks and long shots and all that. There's something like that. What is that? That's over 20 years ago. And we still remember it and we still discuss it as though with an interest as... It's number one in it. It's right up there. It's one of the best we'll ever see.
It's one of the great ones. I think it's a great debate, though, about which one's best, that Leicester one or the Newcastle one. Two incredible goals.
They actually won the Seidel at Tottenham, which is the same time they've done that, with four games still to go. Bergkamp had an assist in that game. That was Patrick Vieira. He was your hero, wasn't he?
Oh, what a guy. Got to play with him as well, didn't I, at Man City? Oh, God, yeah.
He's a lovely guy as well, isn't he? He could be nasty on the field. I interviewed him in New York, you know, when he was coaching the... New York City team. I went out there and he was really lovely, gentle. I interviewed David Villa as well out there and he watched training, which I don't like doing, as you know. I'm just standing there watching.
But David Villa was unbelievable in his training session. He was way older than everyone else, but was completely bossing it. And Patrick Vieira was He was really good. He was really good with his coaching and stuff, but this is not about Patrick. But they're all part of that invincible team. Do you think, I think we've discussed this before, but... It's unlikely it'll be done again, isn't it?
Very unlikely. It's an unbelievable achievement. Do you think it would be harder to do now, perhaps because of the number of games that teams play? Does that make a difference because of all competitions? I mean, there might have been in Europe, these teams, but nowadays there are so many more games, even in the Champions League, these big group stages.
So you play eight games extra, even if you don't go through, and teams are always going to go through. So you've got way more matches, haven't you?
But I also think there's more teams that are better now. Overall, the depth is stronger.
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