Arsenal legend Dennis Bergkamp is moving up the coaching ladder. The Iceman has been appointed Assistant Manager of Ajax, the club he played for in his youth, and the club where he had until now been in charge of the youth system. The Daily Mail has reported Bergkamp accepted the offer to become first-team coach under current Ajax manager and former teammate of Bergkamp, Frank De Boer.

Bergkamp has made no secret of his love for Arsenal and his desire to return to the Gunners one day in a coaching capacity. He did admit that he would rather remain a coach than take on the role of manager, citing an increased workload and increased pressure as reason’s why.

“I want to work and train a team in England. Not as a head coach but instead as a member of staff, where I could work specifically with the strikers,” said Bergkamp.

“Being a coach means you have to work 24 hours a day and that does not suit me. You have to watch matches at home, travel to see other teams, prepare training – it is something that I am not ready to do.”

If your like me, the idea of Dennis Bergkamp returning to Arsenal is always reason to get excited, even if its in a coaching capacity. Dennis Bergkamp, Arsenal’s forwards coach… has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?

Even for the immediate future, having a friendly face or two around Ajax is not a bad thing, as they consistently one of the top producers of young footballing talents in Europe. Ajax midfielder Christian Erikson is a great example, and he is looking likely to become a top talent in the next few years.

Bergkamp has been vocal about his love for the English game, and has been quoted saying, “I would advise everyone to work in England, as a player or a coach, it just breathes football. It is fantastic for the game.” Not a bad voice to have in a young player’s ear, should Arsenal decide to show some interest.

The new Arsenal Kit

The new Arsenal 125th Anniversary away kits have been released. The kit, which features a newly designed crest inspired by a mixture of Arsenal’s original badge, and their current one. The front of the shirt is half Navy Blue, Half Turquoise, while the back is solid Navy. Pictures of the new strip can be found at Arsenal.com.

I have to admit, when I first saw the leaked pictures of this kit, I was not overly impressed. The more I see it, however, the more it is starting to grow on me. I think in the end, I will probably purchase both. The only question is, what, if anything, should I put on the back of them?

And lastly, Jack Wilshere has spoken out to Sky Sports News and said that he is hopeful that Arsenal can retain players like Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri and Gael Clichy, who have all been rumored to exit the London club.

“Obviously we want them to stay,” said Wilshere.

“They are part of Arsenal and big players for the club so we want them to stay, but we will see. I am going back for pre-season tomorrow and we will see.”

Jack Wilshere echos the sentiments of many Arsenal supporters and undoubtedly many of the players. Many people expect that at least one of the 3 players will be exiting the club this summer, but losing all three would probably be very damaging to Arsenal’s trophy aspirations in the coming season.

As always, whether you agree with me or not, I invite you to let your thoughts be known in our newly-launched Arsenal Forum!