Ian Wright first met Dennis Bergkamp at Clacket Lane Services on the M25. Wright had stopped to fill his car with petrol and he noticed a big BMW 7 Series sticking out of its space when he came out of the station. "Who's fucking parked like that?" Wright thought to himself as he jumped into his car.
When the offending driver revealed himself, Wright was stunned. Not many world class footballers hang out in Tatsfield, in sleepy Surrey, so Wright put two and two together fairly quickly. Bergkamp had just signed for Arsenal. "I couldn't believe it," said Wright. "I was so excited. Going back to training that season was like the first day of school. We used the say: 'He's the Messiah. He's going to save us.'"
Paul Merson, who could have been threatened by Bergkamp's arrival at Arsenal, was equally impressed: "We used to go away to a little town in Norway to train. I remember walking back to the hotel one day and all of the lads were saying: 'They must be brilliant in Milan. If he can't play for them they must be the best team ever.' Honestly, it was silly. I didn't think a professional footballer could be that good."
Bergkamp was a special player – the only man to have come first, second and third in Match of the Day's Goal of the Month competition. Wright says he never saw Bergkamp have a bad touch in his whole career, so comparing any new Arsenal signing to Bergkamp is probably unfair. But, if anything, Mesut Özil has shown more potential in his first few games for the club.
Bergkamp struggled initially in England, with Bruce Rioch having to defend him for weeks on end. Looking back, it's embarrassing to read Rioch's defence of his record signing: "As long as he getting into the box and being in the right places, the goals will come. If Dennis gets half-a-dozen shots in a game, he will score goals." Those words read like an England manager's defence of Emile Heskey, but they were really spoken about Dennis Bergkamp, the man who will be commemorated with a statue outside the Emirates.
Bergkamp failed to score in his first six games for Arsenal, but, when he finally volleyed one in against Southampton at Highbury, the finish was so good Matt Le Tissier nearly broke into appause. Bergkamp hit a 25-yard screamer into the top corner in the second half and went on to score another 118 goals for the club over the next 11 years.
Özil's impact has been more immediate. Arsenal sit on top of the Premier League; they have won both of their Champions League fixtures; and on Tuesday night Özil scored a goal against Napoli that would have forced a hearty round of applause from Le Tissier.
"You just sit there and enjoy it," said Arsène Wenger of his record signing's performance. As usual, Arsène knows. But, at the risk of comparing the incomparable, could Özil become the new Bergkamp?
