Arsenal legend Dennis Bergkamp says he had hesitations regarding Arsene Wenger when, in 1996, the Frenchman was taken to north London as a complete stranger.
A lot of this initial hesitation can be attributed to the sudden change in Arsenal’s leadership. He told the club’s official podcast: “I think it was sort of a surprise they had to let Bruce go.
“We wouldn’t have had the greatest of seasons in 1995-96 but I believe it was strong enough to move with a lot of trust to the next season, but it wasn’t meant to be.”
The legendary Dutchman, who had been with Arsenal for 11 years before hanging his boots in 2006, then said:
“I had some questions in my mind but when Arsene came in they were quickly stripped away as he was the one who had a theory that matched my ideology, it was the same. His theory matched my game and so after he took control there were no doubts.”
“There was a clear connection and we understood what we wanted from each other from day one so that’s why it worked out.”
