10 greatest Arsenal players of all time

#1 Dennis Bergkamp

Dennis Bergkamp

For those in disagreement of my no.1 pick, here's a little tidbit for you:

One night last year some legends of Dutch football gathered for dinner in an Amsterdam house. Around midnight conversation turned to an old question: who was the best Dutch footballer ever? Dutchmen have been voted European Footballer of the Year seven times, more than any other nationality except Germans. Yet Jan Mulder, a great centre-forward turned writer, chose a player who had never even threatened to win the award nor, at the time, a Champions League: “Bergkamp.” He had the finest technique, said Mulder. Guus Hiddink, the great Dutch manager, nodded, and so the matter was settled.

Netherlands, the country of Johan Cruyff, Marco van Basten et al bow before the sheer technical genius of Dennis Bergkamp. The Dutchman had no peer when it came to moments of taking your breath away, such as the did-he-mean-that turn and flick to bamboozle Nico Dabizas of Newcastle, the delicious chip to send Freddy Ljungberg through or his goal against Argentina that caused the most legendary piece of football commentary, ever.

Still. why was Dennis Bergkamp better than Thierry Henry?

There are those who will point at the fact that the Non-Flying Dutchman never left the club - he retired with his testimonial being the first ever game at the Emirates. Thierry Henry abandoned the club at a time when they were in the need of his experience - a bit harsh, but nonetheless true.

Simply however, the answer comes from Thierry Henry himself - a man who's played with the best of the best and rates the Dutchman as the finest teammate he's ever had. Without Dennis Bergkamp, the Thierry Henry we knew at Arsenal would not exist, but Bergkamp's magic shined bright, with or without Henry.

The best player to have ever played for Arsenal is Dennis Bergkamp, and each of his 120 goals for the club are worth a watch.