By Lewis Wiltshire BBC Sport Online

Dennis Bergkamp can take his place among Arsenal's all-time greats, according to the man who brought him to Highbury.

Bruce Rioch signed Bergkamp from Inter Milan shortly after becoming Gunners manager in June 1995.

Seven years on the �7.5m fee looks to be a snip, after Bergkamp notched his 100th goal in Arsenal's colours against Oxford United on Saturday.

Rioch left the north London giants just 14 months later as Arsene Wenger prepared to move to English football.

But the former Scotland captain is justly proud of the Dutch gift he bequeathed to the Frenchman.

Rioch told BBC Sport Online: "There has been some real quality players to have played for Arsenal like Liam Brady, Charlie George and Alex James - you could go right the way back through the history of the football club.

"But you could describe Dennis Bergkamp as one of the all-time greats to have played for Arsenal, no doubt about it."

Bergkamp has scored some vital goals for the Gunners

Rioch admitted that Bergkamp was his chief target as soon as he moved to Arsenal following a highly-successful spell in charge of Bolton Wanderers.

"Before I arrived Alan Smith had retired and Kevin Campbell had decided he was leaving the club so we had lost two strikers straight away.

"I needed to bring some more firepower into the club so we drew up a list of players and Dennis was one of those who was available."

Rioch also wanted a creative force to properly harness the goalscoring genius of Ian Wright.

"He fitted in brilliantly with Ian Wright," said the ex-Gunners boss.

"Ian played off the shoulder and liked to make forward runs and Dennis was a player who dropped into that position we call 'the hole' - in between defenders and midfielders.

"Once he received he was able to put Ian away but, as has been shown, he could also contribute his share of goals."

Rioch believes Bergkamp plays precisely the same supportive role these days to the modern-day Arsenal goal-getter, Thierry Henry.

Rioch (left) was in charge at Arsenal for a year

"They've got that utopia now again with Thierry Henry and Bergkamp - it's the same formula.

"Dennis is a very intelligent player, he knows how to play his role and take up the right positions.

"He's also a very popular person in the dressing-room. He's a talented person generally and a good family man but, and I think this is very important, he loves playing in England.

"He said to me he loves the cut and thrust of the English game - one team attacks and then the other team attacks.

"He felt Italian football was negative, too often cat and mouse."

Bergkamp's spell in Serie A was an unhappy one, but Rioch feels there were valid reasons why he did not make it with Inter.

"He had left a family club in Ajax to go to Milan.

"I think he had only been married four days before going out there and he left all his family and friends behind to go to Italy.

So Rioch perservered and Bergkamp went on to become the finest signing of his managerial career.

"I would say he was my best signing, no doubt," Rioch said.