Nicklas Bendtner reveals the story behind becoming the first ever footballer to wear PINK boots and the superstar he pipped to the accolade... as he speaks on his love for trainers and his latest footwear collaboration

Nicklas Bendtner is well-known for his love of designer trainers. But among Arsenal fans, the Dane is perhaps even more renowned for some of the iconic moments of brilliance he has delivered on the football pitch. 

One memory that will forever live long in the mind of Gunners supporters will be his sensational goal in the 87th minute against Dynamo Kyiv that secured Arsene Wenger's side a berth in the knockout stages of the tournament back in November 2008 - notably in his iconic pink boots. 

While some credit Everton's Alan Ball for being the first player to wear white boots, it was here that Bendtner became the first footballer to sport a pair of pink boots.

He was famous for being a player who liked the break the mould, and now speaking on why he chose to don the hot pink Nike Mercurial Vapour Roasas, he admitted that he hadn't been the only star wanting to get his hands on a pair, noting that he had pipped a Bayern Munich and France legend to wear them first. 

'I came up with the idea to Nike,' he told Mail Sport. 'I was one of the biggest young talents in the world so we made a contract. 

'I said no one has ever worn pink boots so is it possible for me to get a pair? It ended up being that one player in three or four countries was going to wear them. 

'I wore them on Saturday and the rest came on Sunday. Ribery was one of them.'

Like many professional footballers who have played at the top level, Bendtner struggled to adjust to life after hanging up his boots. 

‘Without football, I miss my teammates, being in the dressing room, walking out onto the pitch, the banter, walking out into the big stadiums. 

He added: 'You can’t find the adrenaline rush it gave you anywhere. Trust me, I’ve looked. I’m still looking - and I will never get it.'

Bendtner would make the switch to north London in the fledgling years of his career, following a brief spell in FC Copenhagen's youth academy. He'd play for Arsenal for nearly 10 years before moving to Wolfsburg in 2014. The Dane subsequently enjoyed spells at Nottingham Forest and Rosenborg, before finishing his career back at FC Copenhagen.  

'But I live a fantastic life at the moment, I challenge myself all the time,' he told Mail Sport. 'I’ve been diving now for three years and I love it. My new thing is that within the next two years I want to climb Mount Everest.

'When I retired, things were unstructured, living a nice life but without purpose... I was bored and I hate living without purpose.' 

The 36-year-old, who returned 47 goals across 171 appearances for the Gunners, is now set to embark on a new venture, with the Arsenal cult hero teaming up with designer footwear brand ERRANT; perhaps a fitting move for the first footballer to ever wear pink boots.

The ex-Arsenal star will become the brand's ambassador for the coming year and has helped ERRANT design a new line of trainers.   

But it seems Bendtner has long had a love for fashion, particularly designer shoes. Just taking a quick scroll through the Danish icon's Instagram feed will tell you all you need to know about his love of trainers. 

That passion, according to Bendtner, stems from his childhood, where he was not able to afford to buy a pair of trainers. 

'I’m lucky that I’m still in a position where I can pick and choose the work that I do,' he continued. 

'Right now I do a podcast, a sneaker collection and I’ll do some TV work at the Euros.

'As a kid we had no money so I was wearing the same shoe for four or five years until it was completely broken. Because of that I started loving shoes.’ 

Learn more about Nicklas Bendtner's collaboration with ERRANT at www.errant.dk/collections/errant-x-bendtner