Early Life
Born in Amsterdam, Bergkamp was the last of Wim and Tonnie Bergkamp's four sons. He was brought up in a working-class suburb, in a family aspiring to reach middle-class status. His father, an electrician and amateur footballer in the lower leagues, named him in honour of Scottish striker Denis Law. To comply with Dutch given name customs, an extra "n" was inserted in Bergkamp's first name by his father after it was not accepted by the registrar. Bergkamp was raised as a Catholic by his family and regularly attended church during his childhood. Although in later years he said visits to church did not appeal to him, Bergkamp still maintains his faith.
Read more about this topic: Dennis Bergkamp
Famous quotes related to early life:
“... goodness is of a modest nature, easily discouraged, and when much elbowed in early life by unabashed vices, is apt to retire into extreme privacy, so that it is more easily believed in by those who construct a selfish old gentleman theoretically, than by those who form the narrower judgments based on his personal acquaintance.”
—George Eliot [Mary Ann (or Marian)