Ruud Gullit Talks eSports, Chelsea, Liverpool & Advises Joshua Zirkzee on Next Career Move

In an exclusive interview with Video Gamer, football icon Ruud Gullit spoke all things eSports and Team Gullit whilst chiming in on Chelsea’s problems, Jurgen Klopp’s legacy and offers advice to Manchester United outcast Joshua Zirkzee. 

Video Gamer: Do you keep an eye on your eSports team?

Ruud Gullit: Yes, we have done well, we won two World Cups and a Champions League. I’m not so much involved anymore because it has been sold. But I remember my management, Corin. She says to me, I didn’t wanna make an avatar of you in a video game and I said, okay, do we have to do it? “Yeah It’s good to do it.” So we went to Cologne with the launch of it, never ever expecting that it would be that big, right? And that my avatar would be doing so well. So now everybody wants to play with me and that is nice because for that reason you have some sort of a second career, the youngsters never saw you playing and then when they see me in the game, they want to look at me on YouTube and they say, hey, he’s not that bad. 

Video Gamer: Obviously you were a Ballon D’or winner, one of the best players of all time. Do you think it helps you to have such a good card?

Ruud Gullit: I think so, but also because I played so many different positions. Right winger, striker, midfielder, central defender. So I can do anything and you can see that also in the game and that’s nice. So, yeah, I’m happy with my cards and I’m happy with the fact that the youth keep on  remembering me through the game.

Video Gamer: How did Team Gullit come around in the first place?

Ruud Gullit: A friend of mine, he was a player, he played a lot with Max Verstappen, because Max Verstappen plays a lot and so they were playing together all the time and he has his own company which is to do with games and things and he said, why don’t we do that? And, I said, okay, good idea. I didn’t have to do so much in it because I don’t play myself. But I was aware of it all and tried to promote the whole thing, doing things for EASports. So therefore it was good for me. It was a nice adventure and the players were good with some real good players. If you win the World Cup twice and Champions League, I’ve been every time, every year I have been to the Champions League final for EAFC. It was nice and my player won it. The year before there was a German boy who won it. It was very good and it’s fantastic to be in a different world.

Video Gamer: Do you think you’ll see a lot more either ex-professional or celebrities entering that world?

Ruud Gullit: Yeah, I think so. I think that some other players do the same thing, I think Brazilian Ronaldo does, there are a lot of players and I think that also the EA games love that. That we take e-games seriously. I’ve been to some places where they have training camps, so it has been fantastic to see how serious this is. And also if you want to reach the young ones, that’s how you have to do it. They don’t watch television anymore, they stream everything. So therefore, if you can stream things with that, that’s how you reach them.

Video Gamer: Have you ever thought of moving into the streaming world? Getting your own channels?

Ruud Gullit: No, I see a lot of people with podcasts and things like that. It’s good that they do it but no, not for the moment. 

Video Gamer: Do you think it’s difficult for Chelsea fans to identify with the players at the moment? 

Ruud Gullit: Exactly. If it’s already difficult for me, then it’s difficult for the fans as well. You can see sometimes that the fans are not really happy with what they see. If that is because of the results, I don’t know. They had a good result with the Club World Cup. I don’t know if that is of much importance for them. I don’t know. I think they would be much happier if they saw some consistency in the Premier League to understand what Chelsea is all about. And of course, they’ve also got new owners, new things. So therefore we have to wait till we see a certain blueprint of what Chelsea is about. 

Video Gamer: Do you think that Chelsea blueprint will happen eventually? It just seems like the same thing over and over with Todd Boehy..

Ruud Gullit: That’s why it’s so difficult for people to just relate to it at the moment, I think we have to give them a chance in order to see what is going on there and what is the real purpose of what they are trying to do. And maybe we don’t see the things that they see. So wait for a minute to judge if they’ve progressed or not. 

Video Gamer: What are your impressions of Alejandro Garnacho so far?

Ruud Gullit:  Good. He’s doing well. He was also like this at Man Utd. He’s an on and off kind of player. I think they believe in him. They try to push him as much as they can. So give him some time to adjust. As much as I want to see them being good and playing well. That’s the same with him, it’s all the team and all of the players. What is their potential, what can they do at Chelsea? 

There’s a real potential?

Video Gamer: Do you think Garnacho has that really high potential? 

Ruud Gullit: I don’t know. But the point is, everybody that leaves Man Utd ends up playing well. The problem there maybe is actually Man Utd. 

Video Gamer: Do you see any future for Joshua Zirkzee at Man United? 

Ruud Gullit: I think from my point of view that he should have stayed in Italy because he was really striving. He was really doing well at Bologna and I was hoping that he would go to Milan. I think that as soon as he went to Man Utd, it was the wrong decision. I mean, for a lot of players, moving to Man Utd has been the wrong decision. And whoever leaves them, plays well everywhere around Europe. I just hope that there’s a solution for him. Go back to Italy if you can on loan or whatever. Just play football. He’s a good player. But at the moment, it’s difficult at Man Utd. They found a little form in the past couple of weeks and I hope for Man Utd that they continue that. Because a good Man Utd is good for the Premier League as well. 

Video Gamer: Do you think Zirkzee needs to leave Man Utd? 

Ruud Gullit: I should advise him to go somewhere else and play somewhere else. Go back to Italy if you can on loan or whatever. Just play football. He’s a good player. But at the moment, it’s difficult at Man Utd. They found a little form in the past couple of weeks and I hope for Man Utd that they continue that. Because a good Man Utd is good for the Premier League as well. 

Video Gamer: What are your thoughts on Ruben Amorim and Manchester United as a whole right now?

Ruud Gullit: I think it’s always very difficult to get into a team half way through the season. He did. So then you have half a season on and off. Then he’s been able to start a season with his own team and everything. But then still they have some problems. The point is that the best players play somewhere else. They don’t play for Man Utd at the moment. And so they have to deal with players that play already at their highest level. Can they do more? Not everybody. That’s the difficulty, he has to do it with the players that he has. 

Video Gamer: As a former manager yourself, do you agree with Amorim’s really rigid 3-4-3 formation? 

Ruud Gullit: He has a philosophy. That’s the same with Antonio Conte, he does that as well. And it worked for him, not everywhere – but most of the time it works. I always think that you have to play a system that is suitable for the players that you have. And if you don’t have them, then it becomes a difficult thing

Video Gamer: Do you think it sort of casts doubt on his ability as a manager if he can only play one system with one formation? 

Ruud Gullit: He’s starting to get the results and he wants to prove a point. Of course not until you get sacked, you don’t want to do that, but he tries to prove a point and at the moment he’s doing well and we hope for Man Utd that they continue playing well, not too well because I want Chelsea to be better of course!

Video Gamer: Did you ever have a player do the same thing as Aleksander Isak when you were managing? 

Ruud Gullit: No but it happens also in your own career. You want to make a decision if you make it clear that you want to make another step. Nobody likes it. The worst part is when you do that, all of a sudden all kinds of mystery and statements come out in the press. Because they leak things for you that you don’t want and that you haven’t asked for. So therefore, it’s like a chess game. And the only thing you need to do is to play well. 

Video Gamer: What would you do in that scenario as a manager if you had an Isak-like situation?

Ruud Gullit: It works also the other way around. If they don’t like you anymore for whatever reason, you get sold. So you have to look at it from both sides and of course the fans will not be happy if the best player wants to leave. That’s for every club around the world. But if you’re not good enough, they’re happy to get you out. So therefore it is difficult for the player themselves because you come, you go away and you don’t want to leave as a villain. That’s the point. But you only have a career until you’re 34. Maybe 32. And you want to get out, you want to do everything that is possible in order to succeed in your career, your whole career. And if he thinks that that is the right way, he got his transfer anyway. You don’t want to leave like that, but people need to understand that it also goes the other way. If they want to get rid of you, they do. I don’t hear anybody talking about that! It’s more difficult for the players.

Video Gamer: Are you jealous of the power players have now compared to when you were playing? 

Ruud Gullit: We definitely had less power. But look, it is also good if the players have some power. You’re not a cow. You want to be able to have your own say. Because if you are in real life, you can change jobs because you can earn more money and you are entitled to do so. So why can’t you do that in football? All of a sudden you can’t. And then people get upset. So therefore that’s a little bit strange. But the fans, they are the most angry at the fact, if it’s a good player who wants to leave because they want to see that player all the time. But your career is short and it’s not only about the earnings, but you want to win trophies as well. And if you have a feeling that where you are is impossible to do that, you can’t blame someone for wanting to go to a bigger club.

Video Gamer: But to go on strike and refuse to play, is that slightly different? 

Ruud Gullit: That doesn’t help. I always said, if I made the request that eventually I would like to leave, I’d always give it everything. As you know, I want to leave with a title. I want to leave with something to be proud of. That’s what you need to do. And of course, going on strike is difficult. But nowadays it’s a different world. So for me to say it’s the wrong thing to do, well eventually he got what he wanted. 

Video Gamer: It’s not started great for him, has it? Do you think it’s a pressure of the price tag? 

Ruud Gullit: The pressure of everything. He didn’t train for a long time. You know, he didn’t do anything. Do you think he’ll ride out? I don’t know. Of course Newcastle fans will be happy if he doesn’t do that. That’s how it goes. 

Video Gamer: You must have followed Arne Slot’s progress in the Eredivisie. Has he ever experienced a slump like he is now at Liverpool? Does he have it in him to snap it?

Ruud Gullit: Nope. No, it’s the first one. He has to earn his money now. I can sit here and if you win, then I’m always right. But then comes a moment. Now you’re going to see, what are you going to do in order to get this resistance and this team back on track. But that takes some time. People are not afraid of Liverpool anymore. That aura is gone and it will take some time to get that back. 

Video Gamer: He is being criticised at the moment. We know he can guide a team to the Premier League title – but is he someone you believe is capable of taking a team out of a bad run of form like Liverpool are in right now?

Ruud Gullit: He has to earn his money now. I can sit here and if you win, then I’m always right. But then comes a moment. Now you’re going to see, what are you going to do in order to get this resistance and this team back on track. But that takes some time. People are not afraid of Liverpool anymore. That aura is gone and it will take some time to get that back. 

Video Gamer: How important is the form of Virgil Van Dijk in this situation? Is age catching up on him – or does he still have a second wind at this stage in his career?

Ruud Gullit: I think after his injury, he had some difficult spells. I think he recovered a lot better from it last year. But I think since that injury, he doesn’t want to tackle, he doesn’t want to get into contact with the opposition. The opposition has also figured out how to play him. Now he has to find a way to reinvent himself again. You need to, because I remember also when I had the injury, I was out for six months and I said when I came back in, I’m different now. I wasn’t the same. And I needed to adjust.

Video Gamer: Virgil van Dijk seems to get a lot of criticism in Holland but is regarded in England as one of if not the best defender in Premier League history. Are his Dutch critics a bit harsh? Why don’t they like him so much?

Ruud Gullit: I see there’s a lot of criticism now in England about his performances too. And of course, I’m Dutch, so I want him to play well. I criticised him in the past, that was two years ago because he’s their best player. If you are a good player, it’s easy for me as a pundit to criticise somebody who is not at the level [they should be at]. That’s the easiest one, but I criticize him because he’s the best. If you are the best, you need to help others, that is your job. He didn’t like that so much when I criticised him. But this is what I see and now he can do with it what he wants. Now he needs to reinvent himself and he can, he’s a good player.

Video Gamer: Do you think Van Dijk is saving himself for the World Cup?

Ruud Gullit: No, he’s not saving himself. I think he wants to play well, because he’s a good defender. But I think something changed when he had that injury and it’s not an easy injury, it’s a bad injury. The opposition has also figured out how to play him. Now he has to find a way to reinvent themself again. You need to, because I remember also when I had the injury, I was out for six months and I said when I came back in, I’m different now. I’m not the same. And I need to adjust. So that takes a lot of pressure off you. And, then slowly I found my mojo. You play a good game. You play a bad game, good game, bad game, good game, bad game. So that is normal. So you need to reinvent yourself. He needs to, because I can see there’s a lot of criticism now in England about his performance. And of course, I’m Dutch, I want him to play well. I criticized him in the past, that was two years ago because he’s the best player. If you are a good player, it’s easy for me as a pundit to criticize somebody who is not at his level. That’s the easiest one, but I criticize him because he’s the best.

If you are the best, you need to help others, that is your job. And so I criticized him two years ago. He didn’t like that so much. No, he doesn’t like it. But this is what I see. And now he can do with it what he wants. And now a lot of people criticize him in England about his performance. Now he needs to reinvent himself and he can, he’s a good player. And I say all the time, how is it possible with such good players, also with the national team, in the back conceding so many goals. Ridiculous. And everybody needs to find out what that reason is. He’s the captain. I will go to him and ask him, what did you do? And if he does well, and if he has a good answer for that, okay. But don’t blame the others. You are the star man. You can’t blame the others. You have to take responsibility for what happens if it goes wrong. You have to look at yourself. You have to say, okay, what did I do? What didn’t I do in order to prevent this? That’s why they go to him, but he doesn’t like that and nobody likes to be criticized, I understand. But that is what he faces.

Video Gamer: Do you think that’ll continue with the Dutch press moving forward? Because you’ve obviously got a very good squad. 

Ruud Gullit: We have a very good squad. I agree. I have a good feeling about this squad. But they concede a lot of goals. And I said to myself, how’s that possible Dumfries plays for Inter, one of the best. Van de Ven, fantastic with Tottenham. Frimpong, Gravenberch, we have so many good goalkeepers. We have so many good players. I said to myself, how’s it possible that we concede so many easy goals? So we have to figure it out. I think Koeman is doing a great job, but you need a little bit of luck at some moment. I still think, if you don’t concede, you always have the possibility to win a match. And with this talent up front and in midfield, you should do that. You should concentrate on not conceding goals. And sometimes we want to think too much about when we have the ball. You don’t always have the ball. There is always a team that is a little bit better than you. So what do you do then? Don’t concede. 

Video Gamer: Do you think they can win the World Cup?

Ruud Gullit: I think they can. 

Video Gamer: Who’s there, top three or four for you as the World Cup’s biggest challengers?

Ruud Gullit: Argentina is always there. Spain, especially, I think Holland as well. France.

Video Gamer: England?

Ruud Gullit: In England, at the moment they’re always singing ‘It’s Coming Home’. It’s gone. So keep on singing it. 

Video Gamer: What represents a good season for Chelsea from their current position? 

Ruud Gullit: That’s a difficult one. Chelsea for me it’s difficult to analyse a little bit because there’s so many players and when Palmer was playing you could relate to him. Reece James also, you could relate to a certain point, but now their team changes all the time. Jackson also left so I have to wait to give a verdict on what Chelsea is all about. If they can qualify for the Champions League, that’s what it’s always important for Chelsea. The investments they made, they should be able to do that. But to get this Chelsea blueprint, it might take time. But I don’t think I’d want to be waiting for too long! 

Video Gamer: How much are Chelsea missing Cole Palmer?

Ruud Gullit: Oh, they’re missing him a lot. That’s what I mean when people are trying to relate to the players. Palmer is somebody that they want to see. They’re missing him and I’m missing watching him too. He gives a little bit of sparkle to the team when it is needed. 

Video Gamer: How good do you think Cole Palmer is? 

Ruud Gullit: I think he has flair. He has something extra that you need. Is he capable of winning a Balon D’or?  It depends on if you play in a Champions League final, and you play well. But that’s what it is. He knows what to do in order to win it.

Video Gamer: And do you think he should stay with Chelsea to do that? Is he capable of doing that? 

Ruud Gullit: I don’t know. I’m happy with the fact that he plays for Chelsea. Like I said, this is a player that you can relate to. What people go to the stadium for, that’s what I want to see. If he wins the World Cup for England, does he win the Balon D’or then?  Oh, I don’t know. I don’t know if the World Cup’s part of that. Most of the time it’s the year before. I don’t know if winning the World Cup is part of it. I don’t know. 

Video Gamer: Who would you vote for at the moment?

Ruud Gullit: I’m not on the committee. I’m just the presenter. Just wait. We just had the Balon D’or. Just wait for a season. 

Video Gamer: What do you think of the campaigning and PR that goes on around it now?

Ruud Gullit: The press, they love that. They love it. They love to make two camps. Look, these two fantastic football players. We had that with Ronaldo and with Messi. And hopefully we aren’t gonna have another battle like that for a long, long time. Just enjoy it. 

Video Gamer: What do you think of Enzo Maresca and the job he’s doing at Chelsea?

Ruud Gullit: I think that people underestimate him a little bit. I don’t know why. I think he needs to have time. There’s a lot going on. I ask myself, does he buy these players or is it someone else who buys these players? Then he has to cope with the situation? And that’s a huge thing. So many players. And to keep them happy. He’s had to come out and disappoint quite a few of them, hasn’t he? That’s the worst part of being a coach, the ones who don’t play. They are the ones who can really be a pain in the dressing room. So therefore we have to give him a little bit of time in order to figure out how he has to deal with the philosophy of the new owners. 

Video Gamer: Would you like to be working there as a manager – to be in his place? 

Ruud Gullit: I don’t want to be a manager. I’d never wanted to be a manager. I never wanted to be.

I’ve been drawn into it – I didn’t want to. They ask me, oh, you have to do it. Glen Hoddle is leaving, we want you to. Eventually I did it, but then eventually it also finishes your career. It finishes your career. 

Video Gamer: How was it being a player manager? 

Ruud Gullit: It was awful because you have to make decisions against players you’ve been in the dressing room with. You can’t be in the dressing room at that moment. You have to take yourself out. I didn’t want to be a manager. Then it worked out well. I never expected that. I don’t like the things that are behind your back. That’s the worst thing. I love to work with people. I love people. I love to work. I have fun. I’m too positive. I like to enjoy myself. You can’t enjoy yourself. Look at these coaches. They’re all bald, grey, grumpy. It’s horrible. It’s a horrible life. I remember Ole Solskjær when he came for the first time, he was so happy. He came out like that thing from the Lord of the Rings? What is his name again? Gollum? He came out, he looked horrible. Look how Jurgen Klopp looks now. He looks happier, you know. Look, if you win or lose, it’s the same, it’s the same stress. The only thing that is for certain, you get sacked. That’s the only thing you get.

Video Gamer: Do you think Klopp will come back? He said recently that he might be thinking about a return to Liverpool in the future. 

Ruud Gullit: You can’t say that, not at that moment. Now that’s dangerous. If you say it now, at this moment, no, because then you get the sentimental people. I don’t believe that you’re going to have the same circumstances and the same result. That’s the danger. The danger is that it will be very difficult for you to do the same thing. So I think Klopp should never do that for his own legacy. Because I like Klopp, I like him. I want to have this aura of what he’s done, leave it like it is. And if you want to go, go somewhere else.

Video Gamer: Do you think he should go somewhere else?

Ruud Gullit: He could go somewhere or just leave it as it is. I think he stopped with a bang. He stopped with a bang. That’s the best thing. I want him to leave that legacy as it is. 

Video Gamer: Do you think that player-managers will ever exist again? 

Ruud Gullit: No. It’s impossible. I was the last one maybe. Now it’s impossible to do.

Video Gamer: What do you make of Milan this season and can they win the Serie A? If not, who are your favourites?

Ruud Gullit: Milan, I don’t know if they can. There’s a lot of teams that are not at their best at the moment. I think that Inter have done really well in the last couple of years. Also Juventus are struggling as well. Also, Roma, there’s a lot of teams that are struggling. Napoli have done well but previously they lost in Holland to PSV. So therefore, it’s a little bit strange at the moment in Italy. I still think that Italian teams can play some good football. Also with Milan, they’ve got new owners which doesn’t help. They will have different views on players, so therefore that’s also a project. Maybe we will have to wait for a while to see what’s going on. 

Video Gamer: Which Italian team will go furthest in the Champions League?

Ruud Gullit: Inter have done well in the competition previously. They’ve been really consistent also. So therefore the only one that has a chance. Juve are also struggling and they were always a powerhouse, but they’re struggling at the moment. Milan, Roma also have been up there for a long time already. But it all depends on what kind of money these teams can spend. At the moment, the English Premier League is on top and therefore everybody goes there. 

Video Gamer: We’ll move back on to the Premier League. What do you think of Arsenal this season? Do you think they’re gonna win the league? 

Ruud Gullit: I don’t know. Every year it looks like they’re going to win it. For some reason they couldn’t. I advise them to be second during the last period of the Premier League. Chasing is much easier. You have less pressure and more pressure on the ones who are in first place. But it’s a good team. It’s a good team to watch. There’s nothing wrong with it. Arteta is doing a great job. The only thing is they put too much pressure on themselves.

Video Gamer: What do you think of the criticisms over the fact that they’re using a lot of set pieces, a lot of corners?

Ruud Gullit: So, that’s part of the game isn’t it? You don’t think it sort of goes against your Dutch instincts of total football? No, it’s part of the game. He plays good football as well, but if you add that also to your spec, this is very good. I remember I bought Zola because of the free kicks, was fantastic, he opens the game and that’s something that’s part of the game.

Video Gamer: If Arsenal are going to come second, who’s going to win the league?

Ruud Gullit: I don’t know if they come second. My prediction at the moment, I don’t know, I just hope that Chelsea will win the Premier League, that’s the only thing I hope.

Video Gamer: On to Liverpool, Florian Wirtz. What do you think of him?

Ruud Gullit: It’s a pity, he came in at a time when things were not going that well. I mean, he came in and he got a lot of pressure also because of the price tag. Like Isak also, it’s the price tag. In the Premier League you need to adapt yourself always, like every player who comes to the Premier League nowadays. When I came it was a different time, it was not the Premier League as it is now. So therefore he just needs some time. I hope he will find his way.

Video Gamer: One other question on players is, when the person that wrote these questions put it into GPT to describe Ruud Gullit as a modern player, it said he’s a cross between Declan Rice and Bruno Fernandes. Do you think that’s fair?

Ruud Gullit: I don’t know, I find it’s always difficult to compare plays with each other. I think any player is unique, it could be your intelligence, your tactical awareness. You have things that you compare, but I never compare myself with anyone. Did you ever try to emulate anyone else when you were growing up to try and be like a player? No, because I had a big stride, not so quick in the beginning but it was quite quick. So I needed to adjust my technique in order with my speed. It’s different than when you are in little spaces. It’s a different kind of player. And what position did you prefer to play in the most? I played every position, that’s why I’m so good in EAFC. I found it difficult, I’d like to play in the midfield, like a holding midfielder is nice, but I’m now talking about when I was 30. When you are 20, it’s nice to attack, you are quick, you have everything, no problems and then it’s nice to play upfront, but when you get older it’s nice to get back a little bit.

Video Gamer: Would you think of doing a Beckham and buying a club?

Ruud Gullit: No, I don’t have enough money to do that and by the way, I don’t think he did it with his own money. 

Video Gamer: But did you see that coming when he was at LA Galaxy? Because you managed him, right?

Ruud Gullit: Because that was part of the deal when he came to us, that he had the possibility to have a franchise of his own, very, very clever. The thing is with David, he is a fantastic pro. He loves football. I admire the fact that he could do so many things at the same time, because it’s not easy to be David, because people from certain press want to have negative things about him while he wants to stay in the positive part. So he needs to protect himself all the time. And there’s all these vultures around him and he keeps on doing his thing and I admire him. He’s a fantastic lad, there’s nothing wrong with this guy. But the thing is, he’s too handsome, too handsome and he has too much money and people have a lot of envy.

Video Gamer: How was it being the manager when he (David Beckham) was at LA Galaxy?

Ruud Gullit: It was easy. You have to cope with it, I was looking at him all the time. He was watching me and I was laughing at him and I said, I don’t want to even change my position with your position because for me it would be horrible all the time. That attention, wherever he goes, people come to him, it’s mayhem, wherever he goes, and he deals with it in a very good way. It’s not easy to deal with it. I’ve been on that mountain, I’ve been there, I just cut off my hair because I didn’t want be on that mountain anymore. He’s still on that mountain and it’s something to admire that he’s still going strong. So therefore, whatever he does, I wish him luck always because he’s really a nice kid. He’s not a kid anymore, but he’s a nice guy. I met his wife as well and they’re such nice people if you know them in the way that I know them, that’s not how you get to know him. But you know, just nice, nice people. So therefore I have only admiration for how they handled themself in a world where people want only negative things about them. But they’re genuine, good people.