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When Dennis Bergkamp made his Arsenal FC debut against Middlesbrough FC on 25 August 1995, he played in a side containing ten Englishman. The attendance at Highbury was just over 37,000, rugged defender Martin Keown played in central midfield, and the Gunners, who had finished 12th in the previous campaign (four places below Queens Park Rangers FC and nine below Nottingham Forest FC), clinched a scrappy 1-1 draw thanks to Ian Wright's equaliser. Much has changed in eleven years. In the equivalent fixture last term Arsenal did not have a single Englishman in their lineup. A tiny Spaniard named Cesc Fabregas had replaced Keown, and the North London side - playing attractive, one-touch football - won the game 7-0 thanks to a hat-trick from Thierry Henry and further goals from a Brazilian, a Swiss, a Belarussian and another Frenchman.

True legend
On Saturday, Bergkamp, the only player to experience the entire revolution, makes his final appearance for the North London side in their first game at their new 60,000-seater stadium at Ashburton Grove. For security reasons Arsenal have only been allowed to sell 54,000 tickets for Bergkamp's testimonial against AFC Ajax, his first club, and not surprisingly the allocation has been snapped up. It promises to be an emotional afternoon for the supporters as they embrace the arrival of an exciting new era, and at the same time bid farewell to one of the club's most popular and influential figures. "It's a fitting tribute that … a new chapter in the club's history gets under way in the honour of a true Arsenal legend," commented manager Arsène Wenger.

'Vital'
For Wenger, moving half a mile to the new stadium at Ashburton Grove represents a fundamental step in the club's development. The capacity at Highbury was just 38,500 and, with the ground surrounded by housing, gaining permission to expand proved impossible. While Arsenal would sell out for every home game, they were earning considerably less in gate receipts than their main rivals. The new stadium is reported to have cost around €570m, but Wenger insists it was a gamble Arsenal had to take. "Moving was vital," he said. "It was that or die over the longer term at the top level."

Immediate impact
Without Wenger's shrewd managerial skills the move would not have been possible, but the Frenchman will almost certainly be offering a big "thank you" to Bergkamp on Saturday. The Dutchman was one of the first truly world-class foreign players to arrive in the Premier League when he signed from FC Internazionale Milano for a club record €11m. The man responsible for buying him, Bruce Rioch recalls the forward making an immediate impact. "When I signed Dennis in 1995 we were both new to the club," the Odense BK coach told uefa.com. "Dennis was a success from the start. He formed a great partnership with Ian Wright because he knew exactly how to feed the right passes through."

Outstanding
While Wright scored freely early on, Bergkamp had to wait until his seventh match to get off the mark. But a clinical double against Southampton FC – the first a beautifully-timed volley, the second a sizzling drive – was a sign of things to come. An outstanding debut season ended with a sumptuous curling winner against Bolton Wanderers FC, sealing Arsenal’s place in the UEFA Cup. As well as leading the way on the pitch, Bergkamp was also setting new standards off it. "Dennis is not only a great player but also a great human being," Rioch said. "He was probably just as important in the dressing room as he was on the pitch." Wenger, who replaced Rioch in 1996, helped transform the way that players in England train and strove to alter diets. He knew that in Bergkamp he had the perfect role model, and soon high-class talent was flocking to Arsenal from all corners of Europe. "I believe that Bergkamp triggered the trend of continental stars such as Emmanuel Petit, Marc Overmars, Thierry Henry and Nwankwo Kanu joining Arsenal," Rioch added.

Rewarded
Many questioned the wisdom of signing so many foreigners, but Wenger was vindicated when Arsenal won the Double in his first full season. Bergkamp was rewarded for a sensational campaign with the Player of the Year award having scored many remarkable goals, including one of the finest hat-tricks ever at Leicester City FC. Arsenal’s fortunes fluctuated in the next few years but Bergkamp was a model of consistency. He played another central role - now more as a creator than a scorer - in Wenger’s second Double in 2001/02, notably setting up a series of crucial goals for Fredrik Ljungberg. Bergkamp's effort against Newcastle United FC that season – pirouetting round Nikos Dabizas before slotting home – will also live long in the memory. But picking out special Bergkamp moments is an exhausting task. From his first strike against Southampton, to his 120th and last against West Bromwich Albion FC just weeks before his 37th birthday, they have all been special. And who would bet against Arsenal's mercurial No10 conjuring up another magical moment to mark the end of one era and the start of another on Saturday?


UEFA

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[arivanjj]

Yes it's sad to think we're never going to see his art again.

[Milan Are Brilli...]

Bergkamp has certainly made the Premiership entertaining this past decade, as did Shearer both will be missed.