1987 Ballon d’Or winner Ruud Gullit left Roy Keane in stitches with a story about the time he faced football hardman Vinnie Jones.
Gullit, 62, was one of the most gifted players of his generation and is best known for his time at AC Milan between 1987 and 1994.
However, in 1995, he joined Chelsea and quickly endeared himself to the Stamford Bridge faithful and was named the club’s Player of the Year in 1996.
Speaking to BBC Sport in 2020, Gullit explained why he chose to sign for Chelsea, he said: “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.
Ruud Gullit in action for Chelsea in 1995 (Credit:Getty)
“The place wasn’t just a building site, it was a total wreck. You had to walk around on planks of wood.”
He added: “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.”
Life at Stamford Bridge wasn’t always pleasant, particularly when Wimbledon and Jones, 60, paid their city rivals a visit.
In December 1995, Wimbledon won 2-1 at Stamford Bridge, but the match was overshadowed by an exchange between Jones and Gullit.
With 55 minutes gone, Jones smashed into the back of Gullit while the Dutchman tried to control a pass near the right touchline.
As a result, Jones received a second yellow card and was given his marching orders.
“I played the ball,” Jones insisted following the match. “When the referee came over I couldn’t believe it and the Chelsea players couldn’t believe it. I got punished for the dive.
“I can’t see how anyone can say that was a dirty tackle. When I went in to the slide the ball was loose. When you play the ball and you get sent off, anybody who loves the game is going to be gutted. The only thing he [Gullit] did in the game was get two of us booked.”
Two decades on, Gullit gave his thoughts on the incident during a recent Episode of The Overlap, brought to you by Sky Bet.
Vinnie Jones and Ruud Gullit (Credit:Getty)
Gullit said: “I knew Vinnie wanted to make headlines with me. Eventually, I have my back against him [with] the ball in the corner… he slide tackles me and I just jump up.”
He added: “He gets a red card and I say, ‘Now we’re gonna play football okay’.”
The Overlap panel, made up of Roy Keane, Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher, saw the funny side of the story and could hardly contain their laughter.
