📍Jordaan, Amsterdam, Netherlands
1962 – 1972“Ruud Gullit was born Rudi Dil in Amsterdam in September 1962 and grew up in the Jordaan, the old working-class district of narrow streets and canals in the west of the city centre. His father, George Gullit, had come to the Netherlands from Suriname and worked as an economics teacher, and his mother, Ria Dil, was Dutch and worked as a custodian at the Rijksmuseum. His parents were not married, and the family lived in very cramped quarters, sharing a single split-level room at the top of a small apartment building. Ruud learned to play football on the Rozendwarsstraat, in the tight confines of the Jordaan's streets, where close control and quick thinking were everything. His first club was the Meerboys. He was one of the few Black children in his school and the only Black player in his team, and he has said that because he stood out, he felt he had to be good, because people would be watching him. At about ten, the family moved to Amsterdam's Oud-West, where he played street football with Frank Rijkaard, whose father had come from Suriname with George Gullit. They joined DWS together, and it was there that Ruud began using his father's surname, which he felt sounded more like a footballer's name. He made his professional debut for HFC Haarlem at sixteen, in 1979, and went on to star for Feyenoord, PSV, AC Milan and Chelsea, winning two European Cups and the Ballon d'Or in 1987, which he dedicated to Nelson Mandela. He captained the Netherlands to the 1988 European Championship, alongside his childhood friend Rijkaard.”
🗺️ Approximate location today
📍 Street view today