Tottenham legend admits he ‘loved’ one former Arsenal star, and he even modelled his game on him

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Arsenal and Tottenham are preparing to go head to head in the Premier League, with a lot of history between the two sides.

The North London derby is one of the fiercest rivalries in English football, with Spurs playing host to Arsenal on match day four. 

Mikel Arteta’s side will be gunning for three points at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, a ground that has been kind to the Gunners over the past two seasons. 

While the class of 2024/25 at Arsenal and Spurs have an abundance of talent to behold, one Tottenham legend took a trip down memory lane to confess his love for one of Highbury’s finest. 

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Robbie Keane admits he learned a lot from Arsenal legend Dennis Bergkamp

There’s no love lost between Arsenal and Tottenham although, Robbie Keane is still a firm admirer of one former Gunner.

There aren’t many in North London that don’t love Dennis Bergkamp although, admirers of the Dutchman are certainly more common around Islington. 

Speaking to David Seaman on the Seaman Says podcast, Keane admitted that he ‘loved’ Bergkamp as a player, explaining what made the playmaker so special.

“I loved Bergkamp, what a player Bergkamp was,” Keane said.

“Dennis was clever wasn’t he, his football IQ was through the roof, top, top player. I used to watch Dennis and model myself a tiny bit off him, he used to play in the pockets.”

Bergkamp was one of the best at his trade in the Premier League, being an unplayable creator for the Gunners, leaving North London with three Premier League titles and 232 goal contributions to his name.

Bergkamp was Arsenal’s best-ever signing

Gone are the days that an established European star could be signed by a Premier League club for £7.5m, just as Bergkamp was by Arsenal back in 1995.

Bruce Rioch broke the Gunners’ record transfer fee at the time to sign the Dutchman, who went on to make history in North London. 

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It’s difficult to think of Arsenal’s Premier League legacy without imagining the club’s former number 10, who was described as the foundation of the Gunners’ ‘success’ by Ian Wright.

Relayed by the Daily Mail, Wright said:

“He [Bergkamp] was a massive signing for Arsenal and he’s the one that all the success was built on.

“He was magnificent and is the best signing the club has ever made. He changed the DNA of the club. It was a real honour to play with somebody of that calibre.”

Cast in bronze outside of the Emirates, a part of Bergkamp will remain in North London forever, with the Dutchman certainly having a lifelong fan in Keane.