Ruud Gullit was born in Amsterdam and signed for Meerboys as a junior in 1970. In 1978, he signed professional forms for HFC Haarlem and made 91 league appearances for them
Ruud Gullit was born in Amsterdam and signed for Meerboys as a junior in 1970. In 1978, he signed professional forms for HFC Haarlem and made 91 league appearances for them, scoring 32 goals. In 1982, he moved to Feyenoord, where he made 85 league appearances, scoring 30 goals and three years later he joined PSV Eindhoven for £400,000 where he scored another 46 goals in 68 league appearances.
Silvio Berlusconi signed Gullit for A.C. Milan in 1987, paying the then record fee of £6million. Among his Milan teammates were Marco van Basten and Frank Rijkaard who, along with Paolo Maldini and Franco Baresi, helped Milan capture three Serie A titles and win two European Cups (1989 and 1990). Ruud won the European Footballer of the Year award in 1987. After retiring from international football in 1993, Gullit moved to Sampdoria and led the club to victory in the final of the 1993/1994 Italian Cup. AC Milan re-signed him in 1994, but he returned to Sampdoria to finish the 1994-95 season.
After this decade-long spell at the top of the Dutch and Italian leagues, Gullit moved to the Premiership, joining Chelsea in July 1995 on a free transfer. Initially played as sweeper with limited success, Gullit was moved to his more familiar role in midfield, where he scored six goals.He was named the European Footballer of the Year in 1987 and the World Soccer Player of the Year in 1987 and 1989. He was a versatile player, as he played several positions during his career.
