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The former Chelsea star discussed how the Blues' rivals attempted to sign him
Former Chelsea player-manager Ruud Gullit claimed he turned down a move to Arsenal, describing the west London club as his "paradise". Champions League-chasing Chelsea will take on title contenders Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
The Dutch icon revealed to Gambling Insider that he rejected the chance to sign for the Gunners while playing for HFC Haarlem, where he featured between 1979 and 1982.
Gullit, 63, said that former Arsenal star Liam Brady was among the club's scouting staff who tried to convince him to sign with the club.
“When I was at HFC Haarlem at the age of 17, I heard that Arsenal wanted to sign me,” he said. "Liam Brady was a scout at the club at the time, and I was made aware of their interest in bringing me to Highbury. There were talks between the two clubs.
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“It was a privilege that such a big club was interested in me at that age, but it was too early for me at that stage in my career, so I turned them down. I just didn’t want to move to the club at that particular point in time. I ended up spending a few more years at Haarlem before moving to Feyenoord, which felt like the right move for me.”
Gullit joined Chelsea from AC Milan in 1995. The silky playmaker headed to west London with a hatful of accolades. During his time in Italy, Gullit won three Serie A titles and two European Cups, amongst other silverware.
Prior to his trophy haul in Italy, Gullit claimed three Dutch league titles during his spells at Feyenoord and PSV Eindhoven. He also won the European Championships with the Netherlands in 1988.
Speaking to the BBC in 2020, Gullit declared that Stamford Bridge was a slice of nirvana for him, insisting that he was bewitched by London's charm.
He said: "I'm still sad about the way it ended, but my time at Chelsea will always be my happy time. It was paradise for me. I fell in love with London straight away because I found a kind of freedom that is priceless. It was my happy place."
Explaining how English football was a culture shock for him, Gullit elaborated on his decision to join Chelsea because Glenn Hoddle was the manager at the time. He revealed that Stamford Bridge also surprised him due to its primitive state in its old guise.
"I was 32, nearly 33, I had been at the top for a long time and had won a lot too," Gullit said. "Some people probably thought my legs had gone and I was coming here for the ride - to take the money and just get ready to retire. They were wrong.
"Nobody I spoke to that summer understood why I chose Chelsea. I must say I didn't know much about the club or even that part of town when I went there - it was just because Glenn Hoddle was manager, that's what persuaded me to go.
"When I came for the first time to see Stamford Bridge, I was like 'what the hell kind of stadium is this?' I was used to playing in the best stadiums in the world, but here there were only two stands. The place wasn't just a building site; it was a total wreck. You had to walk around on planks of wood.
"But I loved it. It was almost like I was going back to when I had just started playing, when I was nine years old. It was fantastic."
Choosing Chelsea years after he snubbed Arsenal, Gullit was careful to add that the Blues were still a project that had to be sold to him. He explained: "Glenn [Hoddle] had to sell Chelsea and their ambition to me - he said they were at the start of a journey too - but what was most important was that it was Glenn. In the eyes of the Dutch, he was the best English footballer ever."
Discussing the differences between Italian and English football in the 1990s, he said: "There was another way English football was different from Italy, and in a good way - the crowd, and the attitude in the stands.
"I felt a different bond with them, and not just the Chelsea supporters. In the Premier League, the fans appreciated what you were doing more - if you did something special on the pitch that they loved, people went crazy. I hit it off with the Chelsea fans straight away. Their supporters were fantastic, always, even when I left, and they still are now. I loved it. I loved the way they were with me and I will always treasure that."
In the summer of 1996, Hoddle left Chelsea to take the reins as England boss. Gullit was appointed as a player-manager, subsequently becoming the first Dutch manager in the Premier League.
He led the club to the FA Cup, their first trophy in 26 years. He also finished a credible sixth with the Blues but was sacked in his second season, despite being second in the league at the time, reportedly due to a disagreement with the board.
"I signed Gianfranco Zola, Gianluca Vialli, Roberto di Matteo and Frank Leboeuf. We won the FA Cup in 1997 and, in February 1998 we were second in the Premier League, in the quarter-finals of the European Cup Winners' Cup," Gullit said of his time as manager.
"Being sacked was a horrible experience, and there was no reason to do what they did. They made out it was over my contract demands but that was rubbish because there had not been any negotiations."
Ultimately, Gullit has a positive outlook on his time with Chelsea and in England. So much was his affection for these shores that he took up a job with Newcastle United in 1998 but only lasted just over a season at St James' Park.
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"I felt that living in England enriched my experiences in life, and enhanced my ideas about football. I still feel the same way," Gullit said.
"I am very proud I was there at the start for Chelsea, and to see what the Premier League has become too. Both have moved on so much, they are unrecognisable. But they had to start somewhere."
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