Dennis Bergkamp: 'Fear of flying cost me £100,000'

Former Arsenal forward Dennis Bergkamp has claimed that his fear of flying cost him £100,000 when he first signed with the club, reports fanatix.com.

The 44-year-old, now the assistant manager at Ajax, says his wage demands had to be lowered after informing his future employer in 1995 that he wouldn't be flying if his proposed transfer from Inter Milan went through.

In an extract from his new autobiography, 'Stillness and Speed', the Dutch international said he had to accept a loss of earnings as a result of his phobia.

"In talks with Arsenal, if I said 'a million' they automatically deducted a hundred grand 'because you don't fly'. And I accepted that," he wrote.

Cited by dailymail.co.uk, Bergkamp said the mere thought of flying made him feel "awful", to the extent that he admitted defeat in his wrestle with fear.

"It got so bad I would look up in the sky during away games to see what the weather was like. Were there any clouds coming?"

While Bergkamp insists he will never go on a plane again, many people seek hypnotherapy courses in order to tackle their fears and phobias.

Though despite the available options, the Arsenal legend said he has "seen and done it all" in terms of flying and will not board a plane ever again.