Bergkamp Memories
In May and June 2006, The Iceman Website asked site visitors to submit their Bergkamp memories and wishes after Dennis retired. Here are all the submitted texts.
You have been a joy to watch on the football pitch Dennis and as a professional footballer you serve as an example to all players. We'll miss you on the pitch, but you'll NEVER be forgotten by us Gooners...We wish you and your family health and happiness for the future, which ever path you choose to follow. - Julie Cocks, 44, Norwich, England
Bergkamp, what a legend, what precision and class. You are definitely amongst the best EVER to grace this Earth. - Adam, Aldershot, England
I hope you to take place in arsenal like helping arsene wenger and I love you and I like watching you with arsenal and I wish you all the best. I will be sad without you uncle dennis and thank you for everything you made it with arsenal - Ahmed Alsaqer, 17, Kuwait
His testimonial should include players from Wilskracht SNL, the club where he started playing football. - Arthur Vermaas, London/Amsterdam
Dennis, i'm your fan no1! thanks for all this years of class! You have been a great professional, you have to be very proud of your carreer, it's was fantastic! I hope the best for you, I hope to see you soon, close to football! i' will miss you, dennis!! thank you, and good luck! - Juan Pablo Chucair, 19, Bahia blanca, Argentina
Dear Dennis, Thanks for all the fantastic moments and goals. You're my favourite player through all those years in the Dutch team, playing for Ajax, Inter Milan and Arsenal. Its good that there are several DVDs of you sothat I can still watch you when I feel like it! I wish you and your family all the best! - Hans Koster, 55, Boskoop, Holland
There are few players in the world of soccer who have you anticipating memorable skills and moments every time they touch the ball and Dennis Bergkamp is one of them. I could not believe it when Dennis signed for Arsenal and I knew then that there were great times ahead for the Gunners. Dennis added the touch of class our team needed and with numerous strikers along side him i.e. Wright, Anelka and Henry etc. our strike force were second to none in the Premiership. In my opinion Dennis is the best player to grace the Premiership and without him I doubt very much if Wright, Anelka and Henry would have achieved there success. Dennis will be sadly missed by everyone at Arsenal especially the fans and I expect everyone from all other clubs will join me in wishing Dennis all the best and my wish is to see Dennis one day working with the youngstyers at Arsenal so they become great professionals like he is. Good luck and best wishes Dennis. - Chris Mills, 30, London
Dear Dennis, I want to say thank you for fantastic 11 years at Highbury. You was, be and be my idol to rest my life. No one can play like you. When you have proceeded to Arsenal I fell love to The Gunners. Unfortunetly never I had to admire your from tribunes game opening. Once again Thank you for everything. You my idol, mentor master, God. All fairest from fan from Poland. - Tomek Kurowski, 19, Walbrzych, Poland
Bergkamp was the best player we had in the Netherlands after Marco van Basten. He is one of the greatest in Dutch football! - Kevin, 28, Assendelft, The Netherlands
Dennis i just simply hates you cause you retire, i really love to see you playing it was amazing...off course i will miss you game...I´ll miss to see simply the best player, the most elegant,fine and tecnic player of our time, the only one that could be compare would be Zidane, and he is gone too, so now what...I think that you should take one team, or teach your son the arts of this game...I just wish you the best, and I hope you had the time of your life there in Arsenal. - Angel, 21, Caracas, Venezuela
i rem i first saw him playin was in da world cup 94... he scored a few goals.. but da goal tat i can rem... was da goal he scored againts Brazil.. i was at da age of nine at tat moment... so after tat world cup ended.. i started to tell everyone in my school.. tat.. i think there's someone can play better than Romario.. haha.. he is.. more skillful and handsome... there is too much to talk bout bergkamp.. cos he scored many many kinds of world class and unbelievable goals... in da World Cup 98 vs Argentina... da hattrick vs Leicester... da goal vs Newcastle.. and so much more... Dennis BERGKAMP will always b my HERO... my CHILDHOOD HERO~! i still buy da latest Holland and Arsenal jersey.. and puttin da name Bergkamp at da back... da Perfect TEN.. Dennis Bergkamp~! - Kenneth Wong, 21, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Hi Dennis ! your goal against Argentina in the quarters of the world cup 1998 was just outstanding ! This was the time I became a real big big big big fan of you. I did not miss any match of you since the world cup 1998. I watched every game of you in orange (often you could only see the highlights of a holland game in Germany) and of course I watched every game of you at Arsenal since 1998. Many of the games of the Premier League, especially the Arsenal ones were broadcasted live in pay Tv in Germany. I was happy every time I see you being in the starting lineup. Everytime when you was not in the starting lineup I was sick of Arsene Wenger and very angry with him because I just want you to play. I have seen so many live matches of you but unforgettable is this one against newcastle in 2002 when you scored this fantastic goal! Just a few days before you have scored this beautiful goal agaist Bayer Leverkusen. I am a COLOGNE ( 1.FC Köln ) FAN and hopefully you can imagine what this meant to me. There are so many nice memories of you at Highbury! The very best was on the 7th of January 2006 when you played Cardiff in the FA Cup 3rd round. A dream became true because it was the first time I was at Highbury and I saw YOU ! IT WAS SO GREAT I CANNOT EXPLAIN IT WAS JUST BEAUTIFUL ! A DREAM CAME TRUE ! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU ! FOR THESE GREAT YEARS ! DENNIS YOU ARE SIMPLY THE BEST ! I WISH YOU THE VERY BEST FOR YOUR AND YOUR FAMILY IN THE FUTURE ! YOU ARE THE BEST ! THANK YOU ! - Daniel Frischem, 21, Germany
i want to say dennis your are on of the best players on the earth! I and all arsenal fans will be dissapointed that you quit playing football but i will remember you goals! thank you dennis! - Sem, 19, Albstadt, Germany
i really don't know how to describe my feelings,football is no longer the same without the dutch master,what can i say? you really gave us hapiness and joy ...we really enjoyed supported you through out 14 years...i remember the first time i saw dennis played that was in 1992 in euro cup(sweden) since that time he was my number one fottballer in ajax,inter,dutch team and ofcourse arsenal....i know it was very harsh for bergkamp not to win anything with holland but it was even worse not to win the champions leauge this year...i swear to god that night was one of the worst in my life!i will choose three games that i will never forget for bergkamp(eventhough ido remember alll his games and goals but thoes three are bit speical)first his game in the world cup 98 aginst argenina,his great assist to kluivert and his amazing goal in the last minute...the second will be his imposible goal aginst newcastle in 2001-2002 season eventhough i know he prefers his goal aginst the spurs from wright's assist...the third is ofcourse his goal in his day this season aginst west brom coz that game shows us what is gold is always stay gold...you gave us alot and we owe you at the 22th of july coz i know how much it means to you,i wish i could be there in emirates stadium to give my favourite footballer ever the support he surely deserve but i will be watching from here ..the heart of africa and belive i don't know how i will be able to handle that sad day! what bergkamp will do after the 22th of july? i will give my half life to see bergkamp catching and i hope that he will be thinking on that cz belive me dennis you can't go away from football cz......you are football. - Amin Kheir, 21, Khartoum, Sudan
I love Dennis! - Niceice, 22, China.P.R
Hi Dennis. My name is Ray, is your fans in Hong Kong. Firstly, I want to congratulate you have the great future. I know you in Arsenal, I love your great viewpoint and calming. I also will follow this points in my work. It is my learned from youside. Moreover, Thanks you to give me a lot of best shoot and pass! I didn't see other people can doing like that. you are best of the best..! Finally, Pls. enjoy your holiday. I expect your news again! I hope you will come back to change the post for instructor to lead the football club. - Ray Ng, 27, Hong Kong
Bergkamp is my favourite player! - Veselin Sharov, 18, Bourgas, Bulgaria
I started love football when I knew Dennis in France 98. He reunites a huge talent, perosnality, technique and beauty. The best for you and God bless you, Dear Bergkamp... - Mariana, 26, Merida, Mexico