Harry Harris - Ruud Gullit - Portrait of a Genius

On Thursday, 22 June, Gullit arrived in London, jet lagged from his worldwide travels. The formalities of his Chelsea signing were completed, including the routine medical which he passed with ease. The next day he breezed into the Bridge at precisely 11:04 am to a barrage of cameras in Drakes restaurant, which snuggles neatly inside the new £5 million stand.

A year earlier Jurgen Klinsmann had re-launched his career and re-established his worldwide reputation in English football. Gullit arrived with the same steely-eyed approach. He said: ‘I’m hungry for this new challenge. My ambitions at first are quite simple, they are to get along with the lads and adapt to my new environment, a different lifestyle, different customs, a different way of life. I’m not thinking about any end result yet. I am very satisfied that I have done the right thing. My knee problems are a thing of the past. I know there were plenty of rumours about my knees last year but I feel frustrated that I couldn’t prove them wrong with Sampdoria. All those problems are in the past. Milan said I couldn’t play three matches in a week. But they never gave me the chance. Right now, I have never felt fitter.’

Gullit is synonymous with extravagant goals but revealed he never had any intention of playing attacking roles. He said: ‘When I got to Milan, the coach, Saachi, wanted me to play as a striker. He just told me, “Go out there and just do your best”. But it’s not natural for me, and it’s not somewhere I prefer to play, although I learnt a lot from doing it. I don’t have a striker’s instincts. A true striker kills every ball and wants to score every time. Sometimes I’m sloppy and try to do too much and miss the chance. A true striker has to be egocentric.’

From the moment Gullit arrived he charmed his audience in his typical relaxed mood. He never even faltered when he mistook Wimbledon for Wembley! Asked what he thought about the prospects of playing at Wimbledon he said: ‘I’m looking forward to it, it’s one of the most important stadiums in the world.’ When his error was pointed out by Hoddle, who was sitting next to him, he laughed loudly at himself and said: ‘Perhaps I should talk about tennis as well!’

Gullit answered every conceivable question, no matter how obscure or personal. It was hard to know whether to take him seriously or not when he gave a bizarre reason for why he chose Chelsea – the reason being that he’d always won things playing for teams who wore white socks! Finally, he politely paraded in a No 4 Chelsea shirt on the pitch where there were a succession of television interviews. He said: ‘I had the choice between the number 4 and number 14 shirts. It’s strange to see players wearing 18 or 19 because I don’t think the public can identify with them, or know where they’re really supposed to be playing. I prefer numbers that correspond with a player’s position.’

There was also a first in Gullit’s big unveiling to the Chelsea fans. Never before had one of Gullit’s media introductions been sidetracked somewhat by the shock announcement of the signing of another player, Mark Hughes from Manchester United. But it was the surprise factor, more than anything else, that had the media contingent gasping.

Colin Hutchinson made the Hughes announcement just as Gullit was concluding his radio interviews. The Dutchman was immediately effusive. ‘I’m delighted Hughes is coming,’ he said. ‘I think he’s a great player. I know all about him, I played against him when he was at Barcelona. I knew that Glenn Hoddle wanted to sign him from the very start … but I can keep a secret!’

I suggested to Hoddle that Hughes and Gullit, both into their thirties, are truly Chelsea pensioners. The Chelsea boss smiled and said: ‘Both these guys are fit lads who have the right habits and attitudes. I found out myself, when I hung up my boots at the age of 37 going on 38, that people tell me it’s too early. It’s about quality, not about age, and these two guys certainly have the right pedigree. Perhaps I’d better sign a few fifteen year olds to balance it up!’

In fact, Hoddle believed that the capture of Gullit was a watershed in Chelsea’s fortunes and helped to recruit Hughes. ‘When you sign somebody like Ruud Gullit after all that he’s achieved, it is sending out the right signals, to our own supporters first and to his team-mates. It says that people here are trying to build something, that they are serious. It says that we want to be one of the leading sides, that we want to win something. I’ve been here for two years and we’ve come close. But I’m not into transfer coups, I’m into trying to win trophies.’

In the light of the British record of £8.5 million splashed out on Stan Collymore, £6 millionon Les Ferdinand, no spring chicken himself, and £4.5 million on Chris Armstrong, the capture of Hughes was an absolute steal. Hoddle said: ‘Compared to the fees that are knocking around at the moment, it makes an awful lot of economic sense to sign Gullit on a free transfer and Hughes at the end of his contract for £1.5 million.’

The arrival of the two players was extremely well received by the media. Neil Harman, Daily Mail Football Correspondent, wrote: ‘Not a dreadlock on his head turned when the Ruud Gullit interview was interrupted by news that Chelsea had signed Mark Hughes. His thunder might have been temporarily stolen but, in the best tradition of a world superstar, his stride-pattern remained unaffected.

‘When you’ve spent the best part of 20 years as a supreme, sublime talent and cost a then world record transfer-fee of £5.5 million eight years ago, the small matter of a free to Chelsea is nothing to get seismic about. After a week in which London rivals Tottenham and Arsenal between them splashed out £12 million on strikers, Chelsea’s double coup looks fair business … His enticement from Italian football must be the best bit of business for many summers, even though there are those who say so much damage to priceless limbs has left Gullit with knees of glass.’

World Soccer reviewed the Gullit press conference. ‘He made an impressive entry onto the platform, partnered by his new boss. Cracking jokes with the press, he was clearly confident in a foreign tongue. Rewind a year and this could have been Jurgen Klinsmann’s debut before the British media.’

Chelsea reaped immediate benefits from their summer signings. Season ticket sales had beaten the previous year’s figure. Usually, demand drops during the summer holiday period but sales were up with a steady flow of renewals and new applications. The club was forced to introduce a waiting list for fans wanting to pre-book tickets for forthcoming glamour matches. All but two of the club’s twenty-four executive boxes had been sold and there had also been an increase in applications for the family section.

Hughes finalised his £1.5 million move from Manchester United on 5 July and confirmed that Gullit’s arrival had convinced him to sign for Chelsea.

Hughes had met Gullit briefly on holiday a year earlier and they had faced each other in the international arena several times, but he never dreamed he would be lining up alongside him. ‘The fact that Chelsea signed Ruud showed they were intent on raising their profile and I have always been at big clubs. It might have been difficult for me not playing to large crowds every week, but it looks as though we will be attracting the big gates home and away. Gullit is the complete footballer. Genuine world class, a player you can put anywhere in the side and he plays with presence and stature. A superstar.’