The Black Pearl

Ruud Gullit patrolled the midfield like a general directing his troops during a period of unprecedented success for the great Italian side AC Milan in the latter part of the 1980s and early 1990s.

Dutch forward Ruud Gullit shoots on goal despite the attempted tackle of Irish Paul McGrath during the World Cup first round soccer match between the Netherlands and Ireland Republic 21 June 1990 in Palermo. Gullitt scored a goal as the two teams tied at 1. AFP PHOTO/EPA

With his powerful frame and swishing dreadlocks, Gullit was an unmistakable master of ceremonies, spraying perfectly weighted passes to unexplored avenues of opposition territory where invariably a team-mate was lurking.

He won everything in his long and brilliant career, except a World Cup winner's medal.

Dutch Ruud Gullit (L) and Frank Rijkaard celebrate their victory (2-1) over Germany at the end of the European Nations soccer championship semi-final match between the Netherlands and Germany at Hamburg 22 June 1988.

Gullit was among yet another batch of superlative Dutch players to infiltrate Europe's greatest sides, having won two consecutive Dutch titles with PSV Eindhoven before travelling to Milan in 1987.

With the help of two other Dutch giants, Marco Van Basten and Frank Rijkaard, Gullit masterminded three league championships, two European Cups, two European Supercups and two Intercontinental Cups for the Italian club.

The trio were also part of the Dutch team that won the European Championship in 1988.

Black is beautiful

A measure of the Dutchman's domination of European football in that period was that he twice won the World Player of the Year award (in 1987 and 1989) and the European equivalent in 1987, which he dedicated to Nelson Mandela, still languishing in prison in South Africa at the time.

Born in Amsterdam in 1962, Gullit was soon showing evidence of his exceptional talent, and despite considerable efforts by the great Amsterdam club, Ajax, to get him on board, Gullit chose the more modest club of Haarlem to begin his career.

His time at the very top was shortened by niggling injuries to his knee and ankles and by 1993 he was showing signs of long-term fatigue but a short stay at Sampdoria appeared to re-charge his batteries.

English holiday turns sour

Gullit's flamboyant character was in evidence off the pitch as it was on it, and he liked nothing better than to celebrate his fame and fortune.

He has been married three times, most recently to Estelle Cruyff, Johann Cruyff's niece.

He left Italy in 1995 and joined London club Chelsea, where he quickly took over the job of player-manager, when then manager Glenn Hoddle took the reins of the England team.

In 1998, despite having won the FA Cup the previous year, he was unceremoniously sacked by Chelsea who replaced him with Gianluca Vialli, then a player with the club.

Six months later he found a berth at Newcastle United but the experience was a disaster and he resigned in August, 1999.

In March, 2003 he was back in the news appointed as assistant national coach of Holland working alongside Dick Advocaat in the campaign to take the side into Euro 2004 in Portugal.