AC Milan's dreadlocked Dutch forward — Ballon d'Or winner in 1987 and part of one of the most celebrated club sides in history.
Ruud Gullit was born in Amsterdam in 1962 to a Surinamese father and Dutch mother, and developed at Haarlem and Feyenoord (1982–1985) before PSV Eindhoven (1985–1987). AC Milan signed him for a then world-record fee in 1987 and he won 2 European Cups (1989, 1990) and 3 Serie A titles across two spells (1987–1993, 1994–1995). Sampdoria (1993–94), Chelsea (1995–97) and Newcastle (1998) followed. He earned 66 Netherlands caps scoring 17 goals, captaining them to the 1988 European Championship — scoring twice in the final against the Soviet Union. He covered 10.9 km per game with a top speed of 32.6 km/h. He scored 266 career goals and 202 assists across 658 appearances. He won the Ballon d'Or in 1987. He played across forward, midfield and sweeper positions — his versatility was as remarkable as his talent. He became Chelsea player-manager in 1996 and won the FA Cup in 1997 — the club's first major trophy in 26 years. He later managed Newcastle and Feyenoord. He was FIFA World Player of the Year in 1987 and 1989.
European Cup 1989, 1990 (AC Milan)
Career Honours
- European Cup 1989, 1990 (AC Milan)
- Serie A 1988, 1992, 1993 (Milan)
- Eredivisie 1984, 1985 (Feyenoord), 1986, 1987 (PSV)
- European Championship 1988 (Netherlands)
- Ballon d'Or 1987