Arsenal royalty including Arsene Wenger, Thierry Henry, Ian Wright and David Dein turned out to honour Dennis Bergkamp as he received our Tribute award at the Landmark London on Sunday night.
It was a night to celebrate Bergkamp’s outstanding career and contribution to English football, attended by former colleagues, plus many others from the Arsenal family, including Ray Parlour, Martin Keown and rising star Myles Lewis-Skelly. FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom was also in attendance and took the chance to catch up for a reunion with Bergkamp.
Introduced by FWA CEO Paul McCarthy, our Master of Ceremonies for the evening, Wright and Wenger gave heartwarming and heartfelt speeches about the Dutchman, who then sat down for an onstage Q & A session with FWA Chair John Cross.
Bergkamp also sat down with former FWA Chair Gerry Cox to discuss his career, pick his favourite goal and also give his thoughts on the current Arsenal side under Mikel Arteta.
He said: “I played in England for 11 years and when I look back, it all just puts a smile on my face. I enjoyed every minute of it.
“I had some ups and downs – well maybe only a few downs – but overall I had a smile on my face because I enjoyed it so much. We started our family here, and it is a big part of my life being a footballer in England.”
Bergkamp was joined by his wife Henrita and four adult children on what was one of the most star-studded nights in the history of the FWA Tribute Award.
“It was a wonderful night,” said John Cross.
There was a special feeling in the room because Dennis was such a special player. I’ve never known a room like it – a star-studded cast and that’s a mark of respect for one of the true all-time greats.
“There was so much warmth and admiration for Dennis. The speeches from Ian Wright and Arsene Wenger were so heartfelt and genuine. They were moving. And you could see how much it meant to Dennis and his family.
“His former teammates were out in force and it’s a night that will go down as one of the most special in the FWA’s long and very proud history of celebrating some of football’s greatest players.”
Brian Mckeeve
January 21, 2025 at 12:41 pm
The word legend is used too often these days. Dennis was just like the Denis he was named after were true legends. Bergkamp will always be Arsenal’s most influencial player of that era. Mention his name and you can’t help but smile and remember. “We’ve got Dennis Bergkamp” was the chant. The man just oozes class!