From Giovanni van Bronckhorst to Jurrien Timber and plenty in between, some of the most influential players in Arsenal’s recent history have been Dutch.
Arsenal have been one of the most successful teams in the Premier League over the last 30 years and it is no surprise that they have had plenty of players come from a European nation with such an important football culture as the Netherlands.
In total, there have been eight Dutch players to wear the Gunners’ shirt, and while that may be overshadowed by other nationalities in terms of numbers, their exploits have certainly been extremely important and influential to the north London club.
Here, we run down the careers of the Dutch players who have featured for Arsenal over the years. Or alternatively, check out our list of the top 10 Arsenal players ever, and visit our football betting page to find out all the markets for the Gunners’ next game
Dutch Arsenal players with 100+ appearances
Dennis Bergkamp – 422 appearances, 120 goals
It is hard to think of a more iconic Dutch player to feature for Arsenal than Dennis Bergkamp. A stalwart across 11 years at the club, he was a record signing when the Gunners bought him from Inter in 1995, before going on to prove to be worth every penny.
After a tough first season in English football, the arrival of Arsene Wenger made Bergkamp at Arsenal. He was the Gunners’ top scorer as they won the Premier League in 1997/98, with the Dutchman picking up the PFA Players’ Player of the Year.
He went on to win two more league titles with the club, in 2002 and 2004, and lifted the FA Cup three times, in 2002, 2003 and 2005.
Bergkamp was also a member of Arsenal’s Invincibles season, going the entire Premier League season unbeaten. He was also a part of Wenger’s squad, which was runners-up in the 2005/06 Champions League season.
The forward also had all of this success despite a horrendous fear of flying, which prevented him from participating in certain European away games. Despite that, Bergkamp had a huge influence on Arsenal during his time with the club, retiring a club legend when he did so in 2006.
So much so that the Dutchman has a statue outside of the Emirates Stadium commemorating the success that he achieved with the club.
Robin van Persie – 278 appearances, 132 goals
If there were any position associated with Dutch Arsenal players, it would be forward, with Robin van Persie one of the most influential players in the Gunners’ recent history.
The striker signed from Feyenoord in 2004, playing second fiddle to the likes of Bergkamp and Thierry Henry in his early years at the club.
The Dutchman had a solid goalscoring throughout his time at the club, but did find his time hampered by injuries, playing just 15 Premier League games in 2007/8.
Van Persie began to come into his own in the 2010/11 season, scoring 22 goals in 33 games before becoming the best striker in the league in 2011/12, scoring 30 Premier League goals in 38 games.
However, despite all his personal success, the Gunners were going through a fallow period as a club during Van Persie’s time there, and the only trophy he helped lift was the 2005 FA Cup.
An acrimonious move to Manchester United followed as Van Persie chased more silverware, but the Dutchman’s goal record at Arsenal cannot be knocked.
Marc Overmars – 141 appearances, 40 goals
Just two years after the signing of Bergkamp, Arsenal splashed the cash on Marc Overmars, another Dutchman.
The former Ajax winger was crucial to their success in the late 1990’s, helping them do the league and cup double in 1998 with 16 goals and six assists in all competitions. That included a vital goal at Old Trafford late in the season, which helped Arsene Wenger’s side overcome Manchester United.
Overmars left for Barcelona in 2000 but it took a Dutch record signing to pry him away from north London.
Current Dutch Arsenal players
Jurrien Timber – 94 appearances, six goals
Timber is the only current Dutch player featuring for Arsenal, with the defender becoming an increasingly important member of Mikel Arteta’s defence.
Comfortable anywhere in the back line, his versatility has been a key attribute, and he has recovered from an ACL injury early in his Gunners career, which threatened to derail it.
Where he ends up in the pantheon of great Dutch Arsenal players will depend on which trophies he can help his club to.
Other Dutch players who have played for Arsenal
Giovanni van Bronckhorst – 64 appearances, two goals
After Emmanuel Petit’s departure, Van Bronckhorst was signed to partner Patrick Vieira in Arsenal’s midfield.
However, an early knee injury limited his impact at Arsenal, although he did win a Premier League title and an FA Cup with the club.
And the rest…
Gerrit Keizer was the first Dutchman to play for Arsenal, helping them to their first ever league title during a short stint in the 1930/31 season.
Glenn Helder was another Dutch player to feature for the Gunners during the 1990’s, but he struggled to break into the first team and was eventually replaced by Overmars.
Nacer Barazite came through Arsenal’s academy and made a handful of appearances for the club before leaving for Austria Vienna in 2011.
