dennis bergkamp

and so, we bade dennis bergkamp farewell at the emirates. it is fitting that it should be against ajax, because ajax was where it all began.

there are many great players in the world. dennis bergkamp might not have been the first. he might not have been the best.

but he was the very first player who captured my imagination. maybe the only one.

years later, i have seen clips of van basten, cryuff, maradona, pele, many other greats. even zidane.

but bergkamp still remained as that special player: the first player who showed me the boundless capacity for beauty in football. the passes, the touches, the goals. everything.

dennis bergkamp goals are special goals. but my absolute favourite goal is the france'98 goal against argentina in the last minute, which turned out to be the winner.

i can still remember that goal very clearly.

it is the best, not just because it was classy, it was lethal, but also because it embodied faith. the faith that we would go through. to score so late in the game requires tremendous belief, tremendous faith.

it was one goal which demonstrated faith. and there is alot of beauty in faith.

i was praying for that goal. and it came. it could not have been simpler. could not have been more beautiful.