They played together for seven years, and during that time Lee Dixon and Dennis Bergkamp got to know each other so well that the former could anticipate what the latter would do with just one trigger movement.
Bergkamp is widely recognised as one of our greatest ever players, and Dixon says the Netherlands forward was “like gold dust”.
“Dennis was a perfect outlet for any player,” the right back told Arsenal Player. “He put himself in a position to be able to accept the ball from you wherever you were.
“If you were in trouble, you’d look up and he’d find space. He already knew you were in trouble, he already knew you had to move 20 yards or you wouldn’t be able to find him. He’d know the angle of your run, who was closing you down.
“His football intelligence was second to none. He said to me once, ‘Every time you get the ball, I’m going to take one step and I’m gone. If I take two steps, it means I’m coming towards you.’ It was like somebody had turned a light on in my game. I already knew that if he’d taken two steps, I’d just roll it into him.
“He’d make my mind up for me. Then he’d just go with one step towards me and I knew he’d spin into the hole. As a full-back, he was like gold dust.”
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