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Bergkamp was a hugely influential import to the Premier League
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Throughout his time at Arsenal he was one of the best-paid players in the top-flight
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The retired legend has a wealth that is befitting of his genius
Dennis Nicolaas Maria Bergkamp was born on May 10th, 1969 in Amsterdam.
The son of a football-obsessed electrician, he was reputedly named after the legendary Manchester United forward Denis Law, and from a very young age Bergkamp showed he had the precocious talent to do the name justice.
Spotted by Ajax as a schoolboy, he progressed through the club’s famed academy, going on to net 122 times in 239 appearances for his hometown club, while claiming domestic and European silverware along the way.
The silky striker won the Dutch Footballer of the Year merit for two consecutive seasons.
A big-money move to Inter Milan proved to be a disappointment but then came a remarkable rejuvenation at Arsenal, with Bergkamp becoming arguably the most influential foreign player to ever step foot on an English pitch.
At Highbury his intelligent and graceful forward-play brought three league titles and in 2003/04 he was a big part of their incredible ‘Invincibles’ side that avoided defeat all season.
So great was he that a statue now resides outside the Gunners’ new home, the Emirates.
His touch and vision have seen him described many times over as a genius. Its fair to say too that his genius has been well rewarded.
How Much Is Dennis Bergkamp Worth?
Bergkamp’s wealth can reasonably be pitched at £40m, a figure largely amassed from the latter stages of his illustrious playing career.
That is not to suggest of course he was paid a pittance in his early years.
A lucrative signing-on fee would no doubt have been attached to his Inter switch in 1993 while his move to London in 1995 saw his income soar.
In his first season with Arsenal, Bergkamp was the Premier League’s highest earner on a basic of £25,000 a week. That sum does not include built-in bonuses.
By the time the esteemed forward hung up his boots in 2006 the average wage of top-flight footballers had quadrupled and with Bergkamp established as one of its leading lights – a bona fide legend, no less – it’s fair to place him in the highest bracket during that period.
Indeed, in 2005 a FourFourTwo Rich List calculated he was the second richest player in the English game, behind only David Beckham.
Intriguingly, Bergkamp was also one of the first footballers to secure his image rights from the clutches of his club, an agreement that would have been very profitable when becoming the international ‘face’ of the hugely popular videogame FIFA 99.
That aside however, he was not one for promoting himself off the pitch and to Bergkamp’s immense credit he has always wore his wealth lightly, driving a Land Rover Discovery, a luxury vehicle for sure but not ostentatious by footballer standards.
He presently resides in a large property in Blaricum, Netherlands, which again is luxurious but similarly is hardly extravagant.
Dennis Bergkamp Honours
Nicknamed the ‘Non-Flying Dutchman’ due to his fear of flying, in every other regard Bergkamp’s career hit rarefied heights.
In 1993, he finished runner-up to Roberto Baggio for the Ballon d’Or while his sumptuous displays for Arsenal saw him inducted into both the English Football Hall of Fame and the Premier League Hall of Fame.
For both Ajax and Inter, Bergkamp won the UEFA Cup, additionally bringing the Eredivisie title to Amsterdam for the first time in five years.
It was with Arsenal though where the bulk of his glories came, winning the league on three occasions and the FA Cup four times.
It is gratifying that a player of his stature possesses a medals-haul befitting his elite ability. Sadly, the latest Premier League betting suggests it will be some time before another title heads to North London.
Dennis Bergkamp Arsenal
Bought by Bruce Rioch for a club record transfer fee of £2.5m in 1995, it was under Rioch’s successor Arsene Wenger that Bergkamp soared to unprecedented levels of excellence, impressing one and all with a skillset honed from the ‘Total Football’ philosophy of his homeland.
Deployed as a ‘second striker’ before the term became popular, his long-term collaboration with Wenger proved extremely fruitful, and perhaps this was inevitable, with the Frenchman being the greatest Arsenal manager of them all, and Bergkamp one of the Premier League’s finest ever imports.
For a measure of the high regard Bergkamp is held in, we only need look at his testimonial, that was the first match played at the Emirates Stadium.
Not only were Gunners legends on display that afternoon, such as Patrick Vieira and Ian Wright, but genuine Dutch masters in the form of Marco Van Basten and the incomparable Johan Cruyff.
Touchingly, the game was kicked off by Bergkamp’s father Wim and his son Mitchel, with all four of his children acting as mascots.
Dennis Bergkamp Family
Growing up in a working-class suburb of Amsterdam, Bergkamp’s humble beginnings have informed an outlook that puts family before everything else.
In 1993, he married model Henrita Ruizendaal with the couple still happily wed to this day and the couple have four children: Estelle Deborah, Mitchel Dennis, Yasmin Naomi and Saffron Rita.
Estelle is the long-term partner of the Dutch international Donny van de Beek, and regularly posts cute photos of the pair, who are now parents to a baby daughter named Lomee.
Mitchel followed his father into football, though he is currently without a club after being released by Watford.
Dennis Bergkamp Goals
The mere mention of the Arsenal great conjures up images of his most magnificent goals, some of which are seared into a nation’s memory.
An unforgettable hat-trick against Leicester in 1997 contained two goal-of-the-season contenders, the latter arriving in the last minute of a classic encounter.
Bergkamp’s control and artful finish from a long-range pass is a much-viewed favourite on YouTube.
As too is his sublime and iconic goal for Holland in a World Cup quarter-final vs Argentina. Again, the magic took place in the final minute. Again, the cushioned take-down and clinical execution from a speculative long pass defies all logic.
Rewatching such moments of individual sorcery is a reminder that EPL predictions can only extend so far. That’s because all the data in the world can be undone in a heartbeat when very special players like Dennis Bergkamp are around.
