Ruud Gullit

Date of birth: 01/09/62
Nationality: Netherlands
Playing career: HFC Haarlem (1979–82), Feyenoord (1982–85), PSV Eindhoven (1985–87), AC Milan (1987–93), UC Sampdoria (1993–94), AC Milan (1994–95), UC Sampdoria (1994–95), Chelsea FC (1995–98), Netherlands (1981–94)
Coaching career: Chelsea FC (1996–98), Newcastle United FC (1998–99), Feyenoord (2004–05), LA Galaxy (2007–08), FC Terek Grozny (2011)

• Emerged alongside Johan Cruyff in Feyenoord's 1983/84 double-winning team and came to the fore as a total footballer at PSV. Recruited by Milan, together with fellow Dutchman Marco van Basten, in 1987 for a world-record fee, he made a stunning start to life in Serie A and was voted Ballon d'Or winner at the end of that year; with Van Basten injured, he was the inspiration behind the Rossoneri's first Italian title in nine years.

• In 1988 he skippered the Netherlands to victory at the UEFA European Championship in West Germany, scoring a formidable header to put the Oranje 1-0 up in the final against the Soviet Union.

• He would appear in just one FIFA World Cup – Italia '90 – but was back to his commanding best at EURO '92, where the Netherlands' title defence was derailed by Denmark in a semi-final shoot-out. In all he won 66 caps, scoring 17 goals.

• With Milan, Gullit landed back-to-back European Champion Clubs' Cups, netting twice in the 1989 final against FC Steaua Bucureşti and recovering from a season-long injury to play in the 1990 decider against SL Benfica.

• His eight-year sojourn in Italy closed with a move to England, where he merged the end of his playing days with the start of a coaching career at Chelsea, picking up the FA Cup as player-manager in 1997; he subsequently had short spells in charge of Newcastle, Feyenoord, LA Galaxy and Terek.

Honours
UEFA European Championship: 1988
European Champion Clubs' Cup: 1989, 1990
UEFA Super Cup: 1990
European/South American Cup: 1990
Ballon d'Or: 1987
Dutch Eredivisie: 1984, 1986, 1987
Italian Serie A: 1988, 1992, 1993
Dutch Cup: 1984
Coppa Italia: 1994
English FA Cup: 1997