Ruud Gullit
Date of birth: September 16, 1962
Position: Midfielder
National team: Netherlands
Appearances: 66
Goals: 17
Gullit was the forward/attacking midfielder of AC Milan’s all-conquering side of the late 1980s. He combined well with Frank Rijkaard and Marco van Basten for the Italian giants. He was also the captain of the Dutch team that won the Euro in 1988. Gullit was an individualist, instantly recognisable by his flowing dreadlocks. Gullit epitomised the ethos of ‘total football’ as he was naturally adept in several positions.
The Dutch travelled to the 1990 World Cup as one of the favourites, but the team failed to perform as expected. Gullit’s knee injuries clearly hampered his play, and his only moment of brilliance was a superb dribble and shot against Ireland which helped the Netherlands qualify for the second round. There, they met West Germany in one of the most exciting games of the tournament. The Germans gained revenge for their defeat at the Euro, by beating the Dutch 2-1 and going on to win the tournament.
