Dennis Bergkamp: 'You climb one mountain and see a higher one'


(from his new book)

"I remember when Arsène talked about players, sometimes he'd say: 'Oh no, he doesn't love the game …' This is quite a big statement from him. But I know exactly what he means. There are some players who, as soon as the whistle went at the end of training … boom! … They went inside, got changed, then straight in the car and away.

But the real liefhebbers (the literal translation is "love-havers", the guys who really have love for the game) stayed behind to practise. And not only players. David Dein and Massimo Moratti are people who really love the game too. At Arsenal it was always the same players, eight or nine, who stayed behind to work after training. And I guarantee if you do that you'll become a better player."

Freddie Ljungberg would stay?

"Well, yeah. And Thierry was always there. Robert Pirés would stay. Others would stay and go to the gym, which is working as well."
http://www.theguardian.com/football/2013/sep/21/dennis-bergkamp-arsenal-love-game