Gullit. Born as Ruud Dil in Amsterdam (1962), he later took on the name of his biological father. The globetrotter would wander from Galaxy to Grozny. His first club as a professional player was HFC Haarlem, which he took (1981–2 season) to a historical 4th place and qualification for Europe. Turned down by English sides Arsenal  and Ipswich Town, (Neill and Bobby Robson) Gullit therefore moved to Feyenoord in 1982, for a fee of £300,000. At Feyenoord Gullit played along legend Johan Cruijff.

Both players boosted the atmosphere and results of the Rotterdam side.  Gullit helped in winning the league and cup double, and was named Dutch Footballer of the Year. In 1985 he moved to PSV to score 46 goals in 68 league appearances, as he led the team to capture the Dutch title. In Eindhoven he became a player who had an impact on team players and staff, always offering his personal opinion flat out.

The dread-locked appearance caught the eye of Silvio Berlusconi’s A.C. Milan. In 1987 the Italians would pay the then world record transfer fee of £6 million. Other glorious moment followed when he won the European Footballer of the Year award in 1987 which he dedicated to Nelson Mandela. At Gullit’s first season at Milan, they won the Scudetto for the first time in 9 years and went on to add the European Cup to their list of honours.  Steaua Bucharest was slaughtered 4-0 in the 1989 final, Gullit scoring two crucial goals. The following year Milan retained the trophy as they defeated Benfica. In the 1993/4 season he  moved to Sampdoria and scored the winner in a 3-2 victory over AC Milan, when serving under manager Sven Goran Erikson. In 1995, he signed for Chelsea, where he finally enjoyed football to the fullest.