Arsenal’s iconic Dutchman Dennis Bergkamp on Wednesday became the latest player to be inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame.
The Dutchman now joins ex-Arsenal team-mate Thierry Henry as well as Alan Shearer, Eric Cantona, Roy Keane and Frank Lampard in receiving the League’s highest individual honour.
“It feels special to be part of a small group of players who got the recognition of playing in the strongest league in the world. I am honoured,” said Bergkamp in an official release issued by the Premier League.
Bergkamp’s arrival at Arsenal in 1995 from Inter Milan was the catalyst for a transformation of the Premier League, the playmaker adding a new level of technical ability and skill that elevated the competition and attracted other stars from overseas.
“I am extremely proud if people say that I was one of the first foreign players who added something to the English game,” said Bergkamp.
“The Premier League most definitely made me a better player. From the moment I arrived in England I have embraced the English mentality and passion for football, it suited me and my style of play. Playing every game against good and tough opponents meant I improved all the time. I have enjoyed every minute of it,” he added.
The forward’s direct involvement in 181 Premier League goals for Arsenal is second only to the 249 of Henry. He was the first Dutch player to score a hat-trick in the competition with a memorable treble at Leicester City in August 1997.
Two years later he set another PL record with four assists in a 5-0 win over Leicester, a record that has not been beaten. His magnificent turn and finish at Newcastle United in 2002 was voted by fans as the best goal in the Premier League’s first 25 years.
Bergkamp is one of six players from a 23-man shortlist inducted into the Hall of Fame after receiving the most combined votes from the public and the Premier League Panel.
