Ruud Gullit

HFC Haarlem

On 22 September 1978, Gullit signed his first professional contract for HFC Haarlem, then coached by former West Bromwich Albion player Barry Hughes. He made his debut for the club at just 16 years and 11 months old, becoming at the time the youngest player in Eredivisie history. Haarlem finished bottom of the Eredivisie in his first season, but bounced back to win the following season's Eerste Divisie title, where Gullit was named the league's best player. In the 1981–82 season, Gullit was in fine form as Haarlem finished fourth and qualified for Europe for the only time in their history. In that same season, Gullit scored the goal he would later consider his finest: "Playing against Utrecht I went past four defenders and then the goalkeeper, and scored. It was an unforgettable goal for me." Hughes was so impressed with the young Gullit that he described him as the "Dutch Duncan Edwards". In total, Gullit made 91 league appearances for Haarlem, scoring 32 goals.

Feyenoord

The young Gullit was considered as a signing by English sides Arsenal and Ipswich Town, but managers Terry Neill and Bobby Robson turned him down. Neill later said that he considered £30,000 too much for "this wild kid". Gullit therefore moved to Feyenoord in 1982, where he made 85 league appearances, scoring 31 goals. At Feyenoord, Gullit found himself playing in his second season, 1983–84, alongside Johan Cruyff, while the assistant manager was Wim van Hanegem, and they…

1980s

In 1981, on his 19th birthday, Gullit debuted for the Netherlands national team against Switzerland as a substitute, a game the Dutch lost 2–1. Gullit was one of the key players for the Netherlands as he helped his country win UEFA Euro 1988 under coach Rinus Michels. Having lost their opening game of the tournament to the Soviet Union, the Netherlands beat England and the Republic of Ireland to reach the semi-finals, with Gullit setting up two of van Basten's three goals in the 3–1 win in the second group match against England. After defeating West Germany 2–1 in Hamburg, the Netherlands faced the Soviet Union again in the final. Gullit opened the scoring with a header and van Basten scored a volley from a narrow angle to cap a 2–0 victory. Gullit was thus the first Dutch captain to hold aloft international silverware.

1990s

Gullit's knee injuries also hampered his playing time at the 1990 FIFA World Cup, but his dribble and shot against the Republic of Ireland helped the Netherlands qualify for the second round. The Netherlands faced West Germany in a match marred by an altercation between Rijkaard and Rudi Völler. The Germans gained revenge for their defeat at Euro 1988 by beating the Netherlands 2–1 and going on to win the tournament. At UEFA Euro 1992, Gullit appeared in strong form against Scotland in their opening game of the tournament as he supplied Bergkamp with the only goal of the match. However, after a goalless draw with CIS and…

Gullit epitomised the ethos of Total Football, possessing work rate, adeptness in ball-winning, tactical intelligence, skills and physical qualities. Normally utilised as an attacking midfielder or second striker, he was capable of playing anywhere in midfield or along the front line, on either wing or even in the centre, and could also play as a sweeper. Gullit's foremost attribute was athleticism, being tall, powerful and an excellent jumper. Yet, unusually for a man of his stature, Gullit had outstanding natural balance, poise, technique, dribbling and free kick ability. He was also noted for his mental acuity, creativity, vision and spatial abilities, which helped him score many goals early on and enabled him to play in a deep-lying playmaker role late in his days, where he was known for creating chances for teammates. Beyond his footballing qualities, Gullit also stood out with his leadership and tenacity. Despite his talent, however, he struggled with injuries throughout his career, which later affected his fitness. Gullit's brilliance prompted Garth Crooks to comment in his 1990 Team of the Week column, "Ruud Gullit is a great player by any standards. He has all the skills. He's not afraid to do things with the ball. And he looks as if he's enjoying every second of it. By my reckoning that's what makes him an even better player than Maradona. Both have the key quality you will find in all the best players: balance. You just can't knock them off the ball. It was the…

Gullit was born as Rudi Dil in Amsterdam to George Gullit, a Surinamese emigrant who arrived in the Netherlands with Frank Rijkaard's father Herman Rijkaard, and Dutch mistress Ria Dil from the Jordaan district of Amsterdam. The Gullit family lived in one split level room on the top floor of a small apartment building. Gullit's father worked as an economics teacher at a local school, his mother as a custodian at the Rijksmuseum. Gullit developed his football skills in the confines of the Rozendwarsstraat, and street football was instrumental in his formative years. Gullit's first team were the Meerboys, where he joined as a junior in 1970. At the age of ten, however, Gullit moved from the Jordaan to Amsterdam Old West where he played street football alongside Rijkaard. Gullit joined the DWS club after his move, and came to the attention of the Dutch youth team, where he played alongside future full international teammates, Erwin Koeman, Ronald Koeman and Wim Kieft. It was during his time at DWS that Gullit first took to using his father's surname, rather than his registered surname (from his mother), as he thought Gullit sounded more like a footballer.