Dennis Bergkamp says Ian Wright was one of three reasons why he chose to join Arsenal from Inter Milan
DENNIS BERGKAMP has revealed playing alongside Ian Wright was one of the main reasons why he chose to sign for Arsenal.
Bergkamp is a Gunners legend after 11 successful years spent at the club and there is now even a stature of him outside the Emirates Stadium.
But it was still a huge coup when then Arsenal boss Bruce Rioch managed to persuade him to swap Inter Milan for Highbury.
And Dutchman Bergkamp says there were three main reasons behind his move to North London - with one of them being strike sensation Wright.
In an interview with FourFourTwo, Bergkamp said: "My plan was always to come to England after Italy. I loved the passion, the crowds.
"My agent knew David Dein because Glenn Helder was at Arsenal, and they came on the phone. Bruce Rioch and Dein made a lot of promises; talked about playing in a more attacking way.
"I couldn't take that seriously because of the Inter experience. But I thought: Arsenal? OK.
"They'd won the Cup Winners' Cup, they had Ian Wright, they had a settled team with eight or nine who always played. It felt stable, and I thought: That suits me.
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"It's a big club and it's the way I want to play football. And Highbury is nice. Let's see what happens.
"I never expected to be there 11 years, but from day one it was exactly how I wanted it to be."
Bergkamp, 48, added: "At Ajax you knew you'd get five chances a game. At Inter you were lucky if you got one.
"And at Arsenal I was always more comfortable playing behind a striker, just outside the box.
"It wasn't my quality to go in the box at the right time and tap in. I was always amazed by players like Ian Wright. He was unbelievable at that."
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