---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I retired in 2006, I stayed for a…"
description: "\"When I retired in 2006, I stayed for a further two years in England. I stayed because I wanted to be in England without being a footballer, without the..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/355/dennis-bergkamp-20287_because_when-i-retired-in-2006-i-stayed-for-a-fu_723407.jpg"
---

#  When I retired in 2006, I stayed for a further two years…

![“When I retired in 2006, I stayed for a further two years in England. I stayed because I wanted to be in England without being a footballer, without the rhythm. I wanted to enjoy the city.” quote by Dennis Bergkamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/355/dennis-bergkamp-20287_because_when-i-retired-in-2006-i-stayed-for-a-fu_723407.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/355/dennis-bergkamp-20287_because_when-i-retired-in-2006-i-stayed-for-a-fu_723407.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/355/dennis-bergkamp-20287_because_when-i-retired-in-2006-i-stayed-for-a-fu_723407.jpg)

> “When I retired in 2006, I stayed for a further two years in England. I stayed because I wanted to be in England without being a footballer, without the rhythm. I wanted to enjoy the city.”

[Dennis Bergkamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-bergkamp/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

He sought a life in England beyond football, craving the city's atmosphere without the pressures of professional sport.

**In simple terms:** He wanted to experience England as a resident, not a player.

Key Takeaway

Embrace places for their own sake, not just for work.

Themes

identity place transition freedom

Mood

reflective nostalgic

Type

personal reflective

When to use this quote

- living abroad
- cultural immersion
- post‑sports life
- urban exploration

Key Concepts

post‑career identity urban experience personal fulfillment

Questions to Reflect On

- What does “being in a place without a role” mean to you?
- How can you find purpose after a career ends?

A Different Perspective

May overlook practical challenges of non‑sport life and financial realities.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Being](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being/) [City](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/city/) [England](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/england/) [Football](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/) [Footballer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/footballer/) [Rhythm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rhythm/)

## Related quotes

> [The places I've worked in the past, I always stayed three years and moved on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-kilborn/the-places-i-ve-worked-in-the-past-i-always-stayed-three-years-and/)

[Craig Kilborn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-kilborn/)

> [They didn't dictate to me as to what kind of music that they wanted me to play or what tunes, what musicians that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-silver/they-didn-t-dictate-to-me-as-to-what-kind-of-music-that-they-wanted/)

[Horace Silver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-silver/)

> [“People don't get married just to have sex with each other. Not in the last 100 years or so. Even in England.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ros-clarke/people-don-t-get-married-just-to-have-sex-with-each-other-not-in-the/)

Ros Clarke

> [For a number of years in England nobody had any idea what I looked like.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sacha-baron-cohen/for-a-number-of-years-in-england-nobody-had-any-idea-what-i-looked/)

[Sacha Baron Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sacha-baron-cohen/)

> [Out of a hundred years a few minutes were made that stayed with me, not a hundred years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonio-porchia/out-of-a-hundred-years-a-few-minutes-were-made-that-stayed-with-me/)

[Antonio Porchia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonio-porchia/)

> [I stayed in Miami and New York until I was about nine, and then we moved to India and stayed there for about four…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-mark/i-stayed-in-miami-and-new-york-until-i-was-about-nine-and-then-we/)

[Amber Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-mark/)

> [My parents stayed together for forty years. But that was out of spite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-allen/my-parents-stayed-together-for-forty-years-but-that-was-out-of-spite/)

[Woody Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/)

> [“The family stayed put for a few years, largely due to issues involving a contract with a demon, an open dimensional rift, and preschool . . .”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seanan-mcguire/the-family-stayed-put-for-a-few-years-largely-due-to-issues-involving/)

[Seanan McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seanan-mcguire/)

> [I studied law at university and wanted to go on a working holiday in Sydney. I got a job at the Sydney Morning Herald…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-thatcher/i-studied-law-at-university-and-wanted-to-go-on-a-working-holiday-in/)

[Carol Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-thatcher/)

> [Well Brooke, I've always liked her, and when I was little I used to stay with Diana Ross, me and my brothers stayed with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jackson/well-brooke-i-ve-always-liked-her-and-when-i-was-little-i-used-to/)

[Michael Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jackson/)

> [I've said in earlier interviews maybe I should have stayed one or two more years in Holland.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-babel/i-ve-said-in-earlier-interviews-maybe-i-should-have-stayed-one-or-two/)

[Ryan Babel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-babel/)

> [I grew up Dalgety Bay, in the Kingdom of Fife, in a 1970s bungalow. We moved there when I was nine and stayed for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hendry/i-grew-up-dalgety-bay-in-the-kingdom-of-fife-in-a-1970s-bungalow-we/)

[Stephen Hendry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hendry/)

> [Going to the Far East was my first eye-opener to a world vastly different from my own. Then when I was 16 I lived…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-taymor/going-to-the-far-east-was-my-first-eye-opener-to-a-world-vastly/)

[Julie Taymor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-taymor/)

> [I did go to Beijing, with a two-year assignment. I stayed four years. And those four years were the most formative four years in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dinesh-paliwal/i-did-go-to-beijing-with-a-two-year-assignment-i-stayed-four-years/)

[Dinesh Paliwal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dinesh-paliwal/)

> [To me, there was nothing greater than to play for an audience and to entertain people and that has stayed with me all these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-vinton/to-me-there-was-nothing-greater-than-to-play-for-an-audience-and-to/)

[Bobby Vinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-vinton/)

## More by Dennis Bergkamp

> [It will be a hard game if you think about winning a championship. We need to think about our own game at the moment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-bergkamp/it-will-be-a-hard-game-if-you-think-about-winning-a-championship-we/)

[Dennis Bergkamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-bergkamp/)

> [If you look at the whole package, with everything Henry has, I don't think you can find that anywhere else. You give him the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-bergkamp/if-you-look-at-the-whole-package-with-everything-henry-has-i-don-t/)

[Dennis Bergkamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-bergkamp/)

> [I really like Arsenal. But you, do you like Arsenal? Or just Arsenal with Trophies?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-bergkamp/i-really-like-arsenal-but-you-do-you-like-arsenal-or-just-arsenal/)

[Dennis Bergkamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-bergkamp/)

> [I don't want to lose myself in football and that's what a coach has to do to be successful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-bergkamp/i-don-t-want-to-lose-myself-in-football-and-that-s-what-a-coach-has/)

[Dennis Bergkamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-bergkamp/)

> [My goals in Holland were known as 'stiffies', which means something quite different in England of course.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-bergkamp/my-goals-in-holland-were-known-as-stiffies-which-means-something/)

[Dennis Bergkamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-bergkamp/)

> [My aim is to play as many games as possible and to go out and be one of the 11 players again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-bergkamp/my-aim-is-to-play-as-many-games-as-possible-and-to-go-out-and-be-one/)

[Dennis Bergkamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-bergkamp/)

> [Sometimes you feel the emotion. You think this might be my last pre-season or my last Champions League match. But, overall, those thoughts aren't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-bergkamp/sometimes-you-feel-the-emotion-you-think-this-might-be-my-last-pre/)

[Dennis Bergkamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-bergkamp/)

> [Other clubs never came into my thoughts once I knew Arsenal wanted to sign me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-bergkamp/other-clubs-never-came-into-my-thoughts-once-i-knew-arsenal-wanted-to/)

[Dennis Bergkamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-bergkamp/)

> [When I played in Holland, I always tried to lob the goalkeeper. People used to say, 'Oh, you're always only trying to make a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-bergkamp/when-i-played-in-holland-i-always-tried-to-lob-the-goalkeeper-people/)

[Dennis Bergkamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-bergkamp/)

> [We're still a great team. In your mind you can understand that but, emotionally, we needed to express the same belief. We came out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-bergkamp/we-re-still-a-great-team-in-your-mind-you-can-understand-that-but/)

[Dennis Bergkamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-bergkamp/)

> [You have to shoot, to want to score goals no matter how. Just score that goal! You can't be afraid to miss.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-bergkamp/you-have-to-shoot-to-want-to-score-goals-no-matter-how-just-score/)

[Dennis Bergkamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-bergkamp/)

> [So here, at Arsenal, we are often surprised when we are shown some of the newspapers, and at the bottom of an article there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-bergkamp/so-here-at-arsenal-we-are-often-surprised-when-we-are-shown-some-of/)

[Dennis Bergkamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-bergkamp/)

> [I love playing football, being out on the pitch with a ball, and I will be a little sad when that ends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-bergkamp/i-love-playing-football-being-out-on-the-pitch-with-a-ball-and-i-will/)

[Dennis Bergkamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-bergkamp/)

> [When you beat a team so often - especially like this season when Chelsea had already lost three times to us - you know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-bergkamp/when-you-beat-a-team-so-often-especially-like-this-season-when/)

[Dennis Bergkamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-bergkamp/)

> [I just wanted to get back to playing attacking football after my time in Italy. It was a little difficult at first but the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-bergkamp/i-just-wanted-to-get-back-to-playing-attacking-football-after-my-time/)

[Dennis Bergkamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-bergkamp/)

[Explore all 31 Dennis Bergkamp quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-bergkamp/)

## More Because quotes

> [One is a painter because one wants so-called freedom; one doesn't want to go to the office every morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/one-is-a-painter-because-one-wants-so-called-freedom-one-doesn-t-want/)

[Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/)

> [I gave my archive to Emory University because there's a really dear friend who teaches there, Rudolph Byrd, and he's the editor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/i-gave-my-archive-to-emory-university-because-there-s-a-really-dear/)

[Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/)

> [Because of the womb being a central phenomenon in the feminine body, the whole psychology of woman differs: she is non-aggressive, non-inquiring, non-questioning, non-doubting,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/because-of-the-womb-being-a-central-phenomenon-in-the-feminine-body/)

[Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/)

> [I love casting against type and doing things you wouldn't expect, because I think you get more interesting performances that way. Hollywood loves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-s-goyer/i-love-casting-against-type-and-doing-things-you-wouldn-t-expect/)

[David S. Goyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-s-goyer/)

> [There were songs that we cut out after we chose the name, because 'Praise Break' turned out to be an underlying concept that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-caesar/there-were-songs-that-we-cut-out-after-we-chose-the-name-because/)

[Daniel Caesar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-caesar/)

> [It took me 20 years to buy an electric typewriter, because I was afraid it would be too sensitive. I like to bang the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/it-took-me-20-years-to-buy-an-electric-typewriter-because-i-was/)

[Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/)

> [I was also known as Frodo because I was an early adopter of 'The Lord of the Rings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-perrotta/i-was-also-known-as-frodo-because-i-was-an-early-adopter-of-the-lord/)

[Tom Perrotta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-perrotta/)

> [I believe in taxation and health care that is outside the usual libertarian mandate, because I don't want people to have to suffer. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-peart/i-believe-in-taxation-and-health-care-that-is-outside-the-usual/)

[Neil Peart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-peart/)

> [It's like saying French shouldn't be taught because you don't understand it because it's new. Shakespeare is just like learning a new, exciting language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-barnett/it-s-like-saying-french-shouldn-t-be-taught-because-you-don-t/)

[Samuel Barnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-barnett/)

> [Whether it was Little League or playing with your brothers or sisters, that was always a problem. If I would lose - because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/whether-it-was-little-league-or-playing-with-your-brothers-or-sisters/)

[Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/)

> [Sometimes, when full and in fear that I will continue to eat unwanted food just because it's staring at me, I will place my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-nichols/sometimes-when-full-and-in-fear-that-i-will-continue-to-eat-unwanted/)

[Rachel Nichols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-nichols/)

> [I didn't want to do 'Fashion Police' because I thought, 'This is stupid, this is beneath me, who wants to talk about fashion?' It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/i-didn-t-want-to-do-fashion-police-because-i-thought-this-is-stupid/)

[Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/)

> [I was contacted by Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, MP, through the Pune Film Institute and offered the post in the NFDC. I accepted it for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suresh-gopi/i-was-contacted-by-rajyavardhan-singh-rathore-mp-through-the-pune/)

[Suresh Gopi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suresh-gopi/)

> [I have always been a big meta guy because I think the way journalism is practiced in Washington, and the way everyone sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-leibovich/i-have-always-been-a-big-meta-guy-because-i-think-the-way-journalism/)

[Mark Leibovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-leibovich/)

> [There are a lot of kids out there copying and distributing movies - not because they care about seeing the movies or sharing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/there-are-a-lot-of-kids-out-there-copying-and-distributing-movies-not/)

[John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/)

Browse all 15,485 Because quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "When I retired in 2006, I stayed for a further two years in England. I stayed because I wanted to be in England without being a footballer, without the rhythm. I wanted to enjoy the city.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Dennis Bergkamp"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-bergkamp/when-i-retired-in-2006-i-stayed-for-a-further-two-years-in-england-i/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Because"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-bergkamp/when-i-retired-in-2006-i-stayed-for-a-further-two-years-in-england-i/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/355/dennis-bergkamp-20287_because_when-i-retired-in-2006-i-stayed-for-a-fu_723407.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/355/dennis-bergkamp-20287_because_when-i-retired-in-2006-i-stayed-for-a-fu_723407.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/355/dennis-bergkamp-20287_because_when-i-retired-in-2006-i-stayed-for-a-fu_723407.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“When I retired in 2006, I stayed for a further two years in England. I stayed because I wanted to be in…” — Dennis Bergkamp",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Dennis Bergkamp",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-bergkamp/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "When I retired in 2006, I...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-bergkamp/when-i-retired-in-2006-i-stayed-for-a-further-two-years-in-england-i/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-bergkamp/when-i-retired-in-2006-i-stayed-for-a-further-two-years-in-england-i/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
