Bergkamp: Arsenal miss English spirit

Arsenal legend Dennis Bergkamp believes the club's success under Arsène Wenger owes a lot to the English players who were in the team when he arrived.

Arsenal have earned a reputation for being a soft touch in recent years, and Bergkamp admits strong characters in the changing room were important for the team, as well as the numerous talented players at their disposal.

He said: "We were successful because of our English defenders.

"They put the spirit in the team, which the Europeans lacked. They would say 'Get stuck in' and all sorts of other phrases. I love it, especially 'How much do you want it?' I thought about it. It stuck with me.

"Do you really want it more than the opponent? How much are you prepared to give? How much time do you want to put in to become better? It's English warrior tradition; a moral code. We go out together and we're going to give a 100 per cent."

Bergkamp also had the pleasure of playing with many talented strikers in his career, but he has chosen Arsenal's record goalscorer Thierry Henry as his favourite strike partner.

He said: "Thierry Henry's fantastic with all his skills. And Ian Wright was great. But if I had to pick one I would say Thierry because of the unbeaten season with him.

"Thierry's skills were perfectly functional. There was something behind every movement; to get a strike, receive a pass.

"Marco Van Basten has a different skill. He was a great finisher and had some great touches as well.

"It's difficult to decide. But I would say Thierry because I worked with him longer in training and we really had a partnership."

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