Arsenal Soccer Club in Soccer Controversy

Arsenal Football Club are one with proud traditions and more than most teams, they like to remember and respect their great players from the past. They have recently unveiled a statue of their former striker Dennis Bergkamp, who was idolized by their millions of fans. Arsenal have had a ton of superb players, that some would suggest were more deserving of this accolade and pundit Adrian Durham has launched a scathing attack against the club in his latest article for the Daily Mail.

The controversial figure within the game said "How long will it be before the Alan Smith statue is erected next to it? After all, Smith scored the winning goal in the 1994 Cup-Winners' Cup final to seal the only proper European trophy Arsenal have ever won (we're not counting the Fairs Cup). That's an achievement that surely warrants a statue. Better than sitting on the bench in a Champions League final for Arsenal, which is what Bergkamp did." It seems Durham is frustrated at the lack of respect for one of the game's great players. It's fair to say he might have a point, Smith was a two times Golden Boot winner, twice won the league for Arsenal and was responsible for some of their best ever moments.

It's also debatable that other stars such as Ian Wright and Ray Parlour could of warranted the honour of a statue before Bergkamp too. Wright is one of the clubs best ever goalscorers, and Parlour won several trophies for the club, which is what counts at the end of a career, right?

Many clubs are finding new ways to respect their former greats, but as always in the game we all love and know, people are going to find reasons to debate whether it's right or wrong. Can you think of an ex-Arsenal star who deserved this above Dennis Bergkamp?