Overview
Ruud Gullit captained the Netherlands to their only major trophy at Euro 1988, scoring in the final. He had won the Ballon d'Or the previous year and dedicated it to Nelson Mandela, then still imprisoned.
He could play almost anywhere across midfield and attack, and did — sweeper, centre-forward, wide midfield — at a size and pace that made him extremely difficult to contain. He later became the first Black manager to win a major English trophy, taking Chelsea to the 1997 FA Cup as player-manager.
Clubs
International record: 66 caps and 17 goals for Netherlands.
Haarlem1979–1982
Feyenoord1982–1985
PSV Eindhoven1985–1987
AC Milan1987–1993, 1994
Sampdoria1993–1994, 1995
Chelsea1995–1998
Honours
Major team and individual honours.
UEFA Euro 1988
Ballon d'Or 1987
European Cup 1989, 1990
Serie A ×3
FA Cup 1997
World Cup Appearances
Ruud Gullit was named in the squad for one FIFA World Cup.
1990
Other Netherlands Internationals
Other players profiled for this national team.