Ruud Gullit, Definition of a Leader
Ruud Gullit was born in Amsterdam to a Surinamese father and Dutch mother. Gullit started developing his football skills on the streets of Amsterdam Old West where he played alongside Frank Rijkaard. ‘’I grew up playing street football in Holland. There were no coaches, you just did whatever came into your head, you showed off, you improvised… The difference between the youth of now and us is that we had to learn everything from the streets,’’ he explained in an interview. At age 16, Gullit made his debut for FC Haarlem. 3 years later he made his debut for the national team, becoming one of the first black players on the Dutch national squad.
After successful years at PSV, he started establishing himself as a world class player and he caught the attention of Europe’s biggest clubs. Ruud joined AC Milan for a world record transfer fee in 1987. With AC Milan, he won the Serie A and two European Cup finals. Gullit was the captain of the Dutch team that won Euro 1988. Next to those achievements he won the Ballon d’Or as top goalscorer in Europe. When Ruud received this award, he dedicated it to the then imprisoned Nelson Mandela.
When Gullit dedicated his prize to Nelson Mandela, he recalled that many Italians were unaware of who Madiba was. But for Gullit, dedicating his award to the anti-apartheid icon wasn’t a political stance but rather a human decision. Even his appearance was a statement in itself. While now it’s very common to see athletes have all kinds of haircuts, Ruud Gullit was one of the first pro athletes to wear dreads next to tennis player Yannick Noah. His hair was a nod to his Afro-Surinamese heritage and love for reggae music. Gullit even briefly joined reggae band Revelation and together they released the song ’South Africa’. The song was an indictment of apartheid in South Africa.
The story of Ruud Gullit shows how he was a leader on and off the pitch. Whether it was leading the Dutch national team to victory in 1988 or dedicating his award to an anti-apartheid icon. A great player who used his platform for good
