Dennis Bergkamp and Martin Keown had plenty of time together during their Arsenal days, including some bizarre moments as well it seems.
Keown and Bergkamp were both successful elements of the teams under Arsene Wenger and both did their job to equal effect at different ends of the pitch.
Bergkamp, of course, is widely known for his technical abilities. Keown, meanwhile, is very much respected for his winning mentality and leadership skills.
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Both, though, were equally competitive, just in different ways.
And speaking about his former teammate, Bergkamp has revealed the very odd pre-match routine Keown would sometimes ask him to do.
What Martin Keown would ask Dennis Bergkamp to do before Arsenal games
We’ve all witnessed Martin Keown in some capacity when he gets overly aggressive and into the moment.
As a pundit, he exudes calmness but as a player, he was often fired up.
Indeed, Bergkamp has revealed how Keown used to use him and other players to help fire him up.
Speaking on the mentality of English football in general and how he had to adapt to different characters, Bergkamp explained how Martin Keown used a bizarre tactic to help fire him up.
“It’s true, but I always find it difficult to explain why, because I can understand the other side as well. They think of Martin like, “OK, what kind of player is he?” But the way he approaches the game – the way he talks, the way he is always focused, maybe sometimes [a little] over the top – you just take it in,” Bergkamp told The Overlap.
“Sometimes he said to me, “Hit me before the game, “Hit me in the face!” I was like, “What?” “Yeah, I’m not sharp.” So, he wanted me to slap him in his face.”
Arsenal’s changing room was a different beast 20 years ago
The modern footballer and the modern football team are very much different to what Keown and Bergkamp played in.
For all Arsenal’s brilliance under Wenger, they were also one of the biggest and toughest teams out there.
That stemmed from a dressing room full of winners and big characters, with moments like Bergkamp describes here not even that rare.
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We’ve heard instances in the past of players squaring up to each other, heated arguments, and training ground tackles very much like we’d see on a matchday.
Ultimately, Arsenal won in this era through more than just quality and this little insight from Bergkamp here is no surprise.
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