• Home
  • News
  • World
  • Politics
  • Money
  • Lifestyle
  • Entertainment
  • Health
  • Sports
  • Travel
  • More
    • Tech
    • Web Stories
    • Spotlight
    • Press Release
What's On

Hero who saved Princess Anne from kidnap slams decision to release her attacker

5 August 2025

Six children orphaned after mum murdered by partner who then took his own life

5 August 2025

Get four Supergoop! SPFs for £11 each in limited-time bundle offer

5 August 2025

Barcelona to take legal action against Marc-Andre ter Stegen as injury saga turns sour

5 August 2025

Donald Trump wants some holidaymakers to pay $15,000 to enter the US

5 August 2025

Meghan Markle’s brand sends her gushing birthday message as pals share unseen photos

5 August 2025

Why Vick Hope is turning her placenta into pills in controversial trend loved by celebs

5 August 2025
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Trending
  • Hero who saved Princess Anne from kidnap slams decision to release her attacker
  • Six children orphaned after mum murdered by partner who then took his own life
  • Get four Supergoop! SPFs for £11 each in limited-time bundle offer
  • Barcelona to take legal action against Marc-Andre ter Stegen as injury saga turns sour
  • Donald Trump wants some holidaymakers to pay $15,000 to enter the US
  • Meghan Markle’s brand sends her gushing birthday message as pals share unseen photos
  • Why Vick Hope is turning her placenta into pills in controversial trend loved by celebs
  • Schoolboy, 13, has both legs amputated after ‘getting cramp’ at sports camp
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube
England TimesEngland Times
Demo
  • Home
  • News
  • World
  • Politics
  • Money
  • Lifestyle
  • Entertainment
  • Health
  • Sports
  • Travel
  • More
    • Tech
    • Web Stories
    • Spotlight
    • Press Release
England TimesEngland Times
Home » ‘I squared up to Thierry Henry – the Arsenal dressing room had a fight every day’
Sports

‘I squared up to Thierry Henry – the Arsenal dressing room had a fight every day’

By staff5 August 2025No Comments5 Mins Read

David Bentley emerged at Arsenal as an exciting young talent in the early 2000s and witnessed the peak of one of English football’s greatest ever sides that went on to become invincible

David Bentley of Arsenal holds his hands together during the Carling Cup Semi-Final first leg match between Arsenal and Middlesbrough on January 20, 2004 at Highbury in London, England.
David Bentley wasn’t afraid to tangle with Arsenal’s senior players during training(Image: Getty Images Sport)

David Bentley has revealed he once squared up to Thierry Henry during one of Arsenal’s training sessions. Arsenal, under Arsene Wenger in the early noughties, matched Manchester United as the most dominant team in England.

Their wealth of attacking talent at the time, which included Henry, Robert Pires, Freddie Ljungberg and Dennis Bergkamp, meant they won the Premier League in 2001/02 and 2003/04, along with three FA Cups between 2002 and 2005.

Equally crucial to their success was their grit, aggression and strong mentality, which often spilled over and resulted in clashes on the pitch. That was clear on matchdays as the Gunners racked up 33 red cards between 2000 and 2005.

READ MORE: Thierry Henry told he ‘deserves’ to be next Arsenal manager – ‘It would be great’READ MORE: Bukayo Saka’s former Arsenal coach still playing one month shy of 50th birthday

But, according to several Arsenal legends in recent years, training sessions at London Colney were just as vicious, if not more heated, than games against rivals. Bentley was an academy graduate who had not long been promoted to the first team, meaning he witnessed firsthand the good and the bad among one of English football’s greatest ever squads.

Speaking on Undr The Cosh, the former winger recalled the carnage he witnessed as a teenager during training, including some of his own altercations with club superstar Henry and team captain Patrick Vieira. Bentley began by saying: “Every day [there] was a fight.

“You talk about personalities. No chance. You’ve got Ray Parlour – loves it, lunatic, beautiful man. Then you’ve got Martin Keown, Dennis Bergkamp’s an animal – he’d kick the c**p out of everyone.

“Giovanni van Bronckhorst – I used to come up against him and I’d come away with black eyes and bloodied eyes, he used to elbow the life out of me. Fights. Pascal Cygan against Kolo Toure was the best fight I’ve ever seen on the training ground. Two animals going at each other. To try to break them up we needed the whole team. Vieira stamping on me.”

(L-R) Arsenal's Dennis Bergkamp, Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira make up the defensive wall
Arsenal’s Dennis Bergkamp, Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira were tough customers in training(Image: EMPICS Sports Photo Agency)

Bentley described the shocking moment he offered to fight star player Henry, considered at the time to be one of the best players in the world, before stating his Arsenal team-mates were more invested in winning small-sided training ground matches than weekend games – such was the quality within the squad.

Bentley, who later joined rivals Tottenham, said: “I squared up to Thierry Henry, ripped off my gloves, ‘Come on, let’s have it.’ What they did – Wenger, [assistant manager] Pat Rice and the coaching staff – was put on seven-a-sides everyday.

“The dressing room was more concerned about winning the seven-aside tournaments than the game on Saturday. It was hell for leather and it was just slide tackles and fighting. Especially in the last game, that’s where I squared up to Thierry, bless him. I would have got a good hiding as well!”

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger talks to his players (L-R) Freddie Ljungberg, Martin Keown, Ray Parlour, Lauren, Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira, Robert Pires and Gio van Bronkhurst during a training session at London Colney in 2001
The Arsenal players were highly competitive(Image: Getty)

He went on to say: “I gave it a bit of banter with Martin Keown too, I scored a header against him and said, ‘Martin, you’re getting a bit old now, aren’t you son?’ Worst thing I could have done. The ball then came in and I was shielding it, he grabbed me by the neck and threw me from behind. My shirt ripped and I’m going, ‘Gaffer! Pat!’ and they’d say, ‘Get on with it!’”

Bentley then shed light on an incident during a training camp in Austria where he sat in Vieira’s seat during breakfast and refused to let the Arsenal skipper have it back. His bold move earned the respect of the Frenchman, but he admitted that it meant he was not invited to team outings and was “snapped” by Vieira every training session for a few months.

Bentley was sent out on loan to Norwich City in 2004/05 and, desiring more regular football, joined Blackburn Rovers in August 2005, with the move becoming permanent in January 2006. Despite the regular bust-ups, Bentley insists that such needle was the “key ingredient” in Arsenal going unbeaten in the 2003/04 season.

Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.

Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package

This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more

£43

£35

Sky

Get the deal here

Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £192 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.

Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games next season, an increase of up to 100 more.

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Tumblr Email

Related News

Barcelona to take legal action against Marc-Andre ter Stegen as injury saga turns sour

5 August 2025

Arsenal handed Ethan Nwaneri and Max Dowman transfer warning ahead of Mikel Arteta decision

5 August 2025

Son Heung-min to finalise Tottenham exit as Spurs announce striker transfer

5 August 2025

F1 driver suffered injury for ‘dumb’ reason not shown on TV during Hungarian Grand Prix

5 August 2025

Alan Shearer has sent Arne Slot telling message about Liverpool’s Alexander Isak pursuit

5 August 2025

Benjamin Sesko transfer: Newcastle make improved bid to move ahead of Man Utd in chase

5 August 2025
Latest News

Six children orphaned after mum murdered by partner who then took his own life

5 August 2025

Get four Supergoop! SPFs for £11 each in limited-time bundle offer

5 August 2025

Barcelona to take legal action against Marc-Andre ter Stegen as injury saga turns sour

5 August 2025

Donald Trump wants some holidaymakers to pay $15,000 to enter the US

5 August 2025
Stay In Touch
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • Vimeo
Don't Miss
Entertainment

Meghan Markle’s brand sends her gushing birthday message as pals share unseen photos

By staff5 August 20250

Meghan Markle has turned 44 but stayed silent on her Instagram account having not posted…

Why Vick Hope is turning her placenta into pills in controversial trend loved by celebs

5 August 2025

Schoolboy, 13, has both legs amputated after ‘getting cramp’ at sports camp

5 August 2025

Cops probing ‘sighting’ of Michele Ann Joy Bourda who vanished from sunbed by husband

5 August 2025
England Times
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
© 2025 England Times. All Rights Reserved.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

Go to mobile version