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Arsenal: 30 Greatest Players Of All Time
![By Ronnie Macdonald (Flickr: Dennis Bergkamp statue) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape%2Fcover%2Fsport%2Fcc1f5bf4590734bb950515282d97a5f2592cf0b7d832b4baf0a57e19ea004b2b.jpg "By Ronnie Macdonald (Flickr: Dennis Bergkamp statue) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons")
2. Dennis Bergkamp
Genius. That is the only way to describe Bergkamp. Touch, flair, technique. There was very little the Dutchman couldn’t do. Off the pitch, he may have been afraid of flying. On the pitch, his quality helped Arsenal soar to new heights. In a football world so often dominated by stats and science, the artistry of Bergkamp was like no other. This was football of feeling, not figures.
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Many footballers are remembered in but a moment. Gordon Banks’ save from the head of Pele, Maradona winding and weaving through his English opposition, Bobby Moore with the world cup held aloft. All great players have their magic moments. For Bergkamp, it’s two. The first, for Holland, against Argentina, the second for Arsenal against a stranded Newcastle defense. Both displayed a touch and awareness only seen in the elite. The imagination, the creativity, the skill. Aspects that dominate the beautiful game of the Dutchman.
Managers so often pursue reliability rather than risk, dependability rather than distinction. A maverick is something to be avoided. The experimental perceived as erratic. Languid confused as lazy. It was so often seen as one or the other, but Bergkamp, ever the inventor, found a third way. With great risk, he was reliable. With great distinction, he was dependable. Only a genius can manage such imbalance. Only a genius can create beauty from such instability. The blending of talent and hard work is a potent mix, ingredients that make a master. Bergkamp is the epitome of such mastery. A true genius.
Next: 1. Thierry Henry