Arsenal Fans Chanted My Name Late in the Game, Reminding Me of My Professional Debut: Ex-Gunners Star Reflects on Scoring First Senior Goal as a Teenager at Highbury

Arsenal has a rich tradition of nurturing young talent, having seen players like Ashley Cole, Cesc Fabregas, Jack Wilshere, and Bukayo Saka rise to prominence in the first team.

In January 2004, Gunners supporters were eager to witness yet another emerging talent as Arsene Wenger introduced a new prospect during a 4-1 victory over Middlesbrough in the FA Cup fourth round.

With Arsenal comfortably in control, Wenger opted to bring on young David Bentley, replacing Denis Bergkamp in the 84th minute for what was only his sixth appearance for the club.

Arsenal supporters welcome David Bentley after stunning finish

In the dying moments of the match, Bentley left his mark, elegantly chipping the ball over Mark Schwarzer with his weaker left foot, sealing Arsenal’s progression into the fifth round of the Cup without any late scares.

“My first goal for Arsenal, at Highbury, down the Clock End where I used to train in the youth team. It was a lovely chip that drew comparisons with Dennis Bergkamp – he was a player I was tipped to maybe emulate at the time,” Bentley reflects in an interview with FourFourTwo.

“It was a great goal, which always helps, but that feeling of scoring, at a place as iconic as Highbury, was like nothing else. Even though it was late in the game, the fans started singing my name: ‘We’ve got David Bentley!’.

“It felt like the moment I announced myself as a professional footballer – everything changed the second that ball landed in the back of Middlesbrough’s net.”

Though Bentley’s perception of himself shifted, opportunities in the Arsenal first team remained scarce. It wasn’t until May of that year—almost five months after his memorable goal against Middlesbrough—that he made his first start in the Premier League for Arsenal.

Ultimately, that proved to be his final appearance for the club, as a loan to Norwich the following season was followed by another loan to Blackburn, which later became a permanent transfer. After nine appearances in all competitions and a solitary goal for Arsenal, Bentley left Highbury at the age of 21 in 2006.

In his debut match for Blackburn after the loan was finalized, Bentley netted a hat-trick in a thrilling 4-3 win over Manchester United. He later transferred to Arsenal’s historic rivals Tottenham in 2008, where he spent five years, punctuated by loan stints at Birmingham, West Ham, Rostov, and Blackburn, before ultimately retiring from professional football at the age of 29 in 2014.