Copy linkFacebookXPinterestEmailShare this article0Join the conversationFollow usAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleNewsletterFour Four TwoGet the FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Become a Member in Seconds Unlock instant access to exclusive member features.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.You are now subscribedYour newsletter sign-up was successfulWant to add more newsletters?Five times a weekFourFourTwo DailyFantastic football content straight to your inbox! From the latest transfer news, quizzes, videos, features and interviews with the biggest names in the game, plus lots more.Signup +Once a week...And its LIVE!Sign up to our FREE live football newsletter, tracking all of the biggest games available to watch on the device of your choice. Never miss a kick-off!Signup +Join the clubGet full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.Explore An account already exists for this email address, please log in.Subscribe to our newsletterDuring the course of his two-decade playing career, Ruud Gullit established himself as one of the best and most complete players in world football.The Netherlands legend - who was ranked at no.30 in FourFourTwos list of the best 100 players of all time last year - was most notably part of the legendary AC Milan side of the late 1980s and early 1990s, winning three Serie A titles and two European Cups, a period in which he also captained his country to glory at Euro 88.In 1995, Gullit left Italy, swapping Sampdoria for Chelsea, joining Glenn Hoddles side on a free transfer and would go on to become player-manager and win the FA Cup.You may likeI was keen to join Liverpool, but they changed their offer and I felt it wasnt fair Michael Laudrup on missing out on Anfield moveI was really close to choosing Arsenal when I was younger. I was having steak with Arsene Wenger and thought, Is he going to judge me if I eat the fries? Martin Odegaard on almost joining Arsenal as a teenagerIt was down to me or Pep Guardiola for the Barcelona job. You cant really say that they made the wrong choice! Michael Laudrup opens up on missing out on the Barca jobGullit on turning down ArsenalGet VIP Arsenal tickets HERE with Seat UniqueArsenal's premium Club Level tickets offer superb padded seating and access to the lounge two-and-a-half hours pre-match. The package includes four drinks, one food item, and a half-time complimentary drink. Guests also receive a �5 merchandise voucher and a complimentary Museum Tour, ensuring an elevated and comprehensive matchday experience for home supporters.View DealHowever, every career has a Sliding Doors moment and for Gullit, his was a decision to snub English football as a teenager.When I was at HFC Haarlem at the age of 17, I heard that Arsenal wanted to sign me, Gullit told Gambling Insider.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.It was a privilege that such a big club were 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 didnt want to move to the club at that particular point in time.Get FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.I ended up spending a few more years at Haarlem before moving to Feyenoord, which felt like the right move for me.Gullit would make the move to Feyenoord in 1982, where he played alongside Johan Cruyff and would win a league cup double in his second season. A move to PSV followed in 1985, before AC Milan broke the world record transfer fee to bring him to the San Siro in 1987.Gullit would win the Ballon dOr that year and his seven-year spell at Milan was central to the Italian sides emergence as one of the best club sides of that era.Arsenal, meanwhile, would win league titles in 1989 and 1991, but fans can only wonder what kind of impact a young Gullit could have made to their side in the 1980s.TOPICSArsenalTransfer newsJoe MewisSocial Links NavigationFor more than a decade, Joe Mewis has worked in football journalism as a reporter and editor. Mewis has had stints at Mirror Football and LeedsLive among others and worked at FourFourTwo throughout Euro 2024, reporting on the tournament. In addition to his journalist work, Mewis is also the author of four football history books that include times on Leeds United and the England national team. Now working as a digital marketing coordinator at Harrogate Town, too, Mewis counts some of his best career moments as being in the iconic Spygate press conference under Marcelo Bielsa and seeing his beloved Leeds lift the Championship trophy during lockdown.
