Ruud Gullit admits the way he was sacked by Ken Bates' Chelsea hurt him deeply.

The Dutch great told the Sunday Times: "During my life, that [the sacking] had the biggest impact. As a human being, I had never been treated like that. I was shell-shocked for almost three months. I couldn't believe that people I worked with every day could do that. Bates sacked me, that was his right, but the information he based it on came from other people.

"He didn't know what was happening because he was always busy with Chelsea Village, so I didn't really blame him. But the people I worked with every day, people I played golf with, people I exchanged gifts with, these people were doing things behind my back . . . that was the worst thing."

Who are you talking about?

"Colin Hutchinson, Graham Rix, and who was the other guy? I can't remember. Oh, Glyn Williams. I realise I'm not perfect. I make mistakes, I think to myself, 'Ruud, couldn't you have done that in a different way?' But after being sacked, I couldn't understand it. Nobody could."