"Well, I signed a new two-year extension to my Arsenal contract yesterday and I have to say it's an enormous weight off my mind. Why has it taken me so long to sort this contract out? There's a number of reasons. Firstly, the final contract of any player's career is always a bit more complicated, with extra issues to be resolved.

"But I've also been left wondering, at one or two points, whether everyone at the club still wanted me. That was more than a little worrying but, thankfully, I've now resolved everything. I just needed to be reassured and I've had a few good chats with the boss. He's told me that I'm very much still in his plans and now I feel just great. As you know, I retired from international football in the summer to concentrate on Arsenal, so it was upsetting for me when I wasn't sure if I was needed here. Now, though, I'm in no doubt about it and that's fantastic for my confidence.

"As you may know, I'm a confidence player - I need to feel confident to perform at my highest level. At times this season, I haven't always felt that I've performed as well as I could, so hopefully this development will mean I can deliver better performances. I want to get back to the old Dennis Bergkamp that everyone knows from two or three years ago. While I can't promise anything, having signed the contract I hope to start firing on all cylinders.

"I don't feel that the contract wrangling has affected me, and I also feel that I've tried my hardest in every game. I do know, however, that one way or another I've been carrying this business around in the back of my head, so it's possible that it has weighed me down. Now I have that weight off my mind, I hope to repay the faith that the Arsenal fans and players have shown in me by really hitting top form for the team."