Arsenal legend Dennis Bergkamp has revealed that he frequently fell out with manager Arsene Wenger during his time at the club.
The Dutchman retired from the sport at the Gunners in 2006 after spending 11 years at Highbury, but found his playing time limited towards the end of his career.
In an extract from his new autobiography, Bergkamp admits that he and Wenger often found themselves in "childish" arguments.
"Not many times but it did happen. But with respect: no swearing or name-calling. It would happen on the field when he told me I wasn't playing," Bergkamp wrote. "Even late on, when I was 35 or 36, he would say: 'Do you still want to come to the game? Do you want to be on the bench?' And he'd leave the decision to me. I don't know what he was thinking.
"Was it like 'I'd rather not have you there' or 'I've got so much respect for you?' Of course I knew when I was 35 or 36 that I couldn't play every game. But within yourself you think you can.
"The arguments we had were only about those sorts of football-related things. Me playing or not playing. It was very childish, but it came from the heart – from both of us."
The first match at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium was Bergkamp's testimonial game.
Matt Cotton
