Mikel Arteta should be inspired by a recent comment made by Arsenal legend David Seaman.
After two years of falling short to Manchester City, the Gunners are ready to win their first Premier League title in 21 years.
It seems barbaric to consider that the last time Arsenal won the league, they went the season unbeaten, a campaign that will be forever remembered in world football.
Now, Arteta will be eyeing major silverware to crown the 2024/25 calendar with, something that can be made easier for the boss if one thing happens.
David Seaman explains Dennis Bergkamp’s influence on Arsenal
David Seaman won three Premier League titles and four FA Cups during his career at Arsenal, with the goalkeeper more than qualified to talk about domestic success.
While George Graham and Arsene Wenger’s squads were controlled by silverware, Seaman reflected on another huge factor to his high points with the Gunners.
Speaking to AFTV, the legendary goalkeeper highlighted Bruce Rioch’s capture of Dennis Bergkamp as a contributing factor to the successes at Arsenal under Wenger.
“The signing of Dennis was good because, the fact that we were getting Dennis Bergkamp, a player of that level, he was a marquee player,” Seaman explained.
“A finished article, not like Nicolas or Thierry when they came, we didn’t know them.”
Of course, everyone knows how things turned out for the initially timid figure of Thierry Henry in N5, with Seaman alluding to how capturing a world-class and renowned figure in the European game bolstered the squad away from the pitch.
“We were like ‘Woah, the club are signing players like that’, we were like, ‘We are going places, we are going to win more trophies because we’ve got him [Bergkamp]’”
The Englishman was firm when explaining the impact that signing Bergkamp had at Highbury, with the players aware of the calibre of talent that had been integrated into their squad at the time.
Mikel Arteta must take Seaman’s comments on board
Arsenal signed Bergkamp from Inter Milan in 1995 as a player well-known on both the international and domestic stage.
Judging by Seaman’s memories of the Dutchman’s arrival, it’s clear to see the impact that welcoming a player of his quality to the club had on those already at Arsenal.
The legendary ‘keeper’s words should influence Arteta to make a similar capture in his current squad, whether that be in January or in the summer.
Arsenal signed Bergkamp to take the club to the next level, which is what happened as a few years down the line, the iconic playmaker departed as an Invincible with three Premier League titles to his name.
While the current Arsenal squad are aware of where they’re at in their bid to chase down Manchester City, there’s only so far a side that have missed out consecutively can go in terms of seeking inspiration internally.
As Seaman explained, signing a world-renowned player impacts not only the results on the pitch but also the belief in the dressing room, something that Arteta must work to replicate in future transfer windows.
It’s unlikely that the Spaniard will recruit his own Bergkamp, but setting out with such goal in mind could bring similar results to the current Arsenal side, just as it did for those 20+ years ago.
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