Ruud Gullit: Portrait of a Genius

Gullit explained to anyone who wanted to listen that it is nonsense to dwell on his five knee operations and suggest he is past his prime. He must have been fed up with the constant probing about his fitness, but he responded politely to all the inquisitive journalists: ‘I’m fit enough and after ninety minutes I could still go up front, although the heat made it very difficult for everyone. In the first half I didn’t expend a lot of energy. I might have seemed very quiet but I was pacing myself. That enabled me after fifty minutes to do more and by then the opposition were tired. It was all about choosing my right moment, not trying something eight times in the first half and tiring in the second.’