Ian Rush
Encyclopedia
Ian James Rush, MBE
, (born 20 October 1961) is a retired football player from Flint
, Wales
. He is best remembered as a player for Liverpool
, where he was among the top striker
s in the English game in the 1980s and 1990s. He also had spells playing at Chester City
, Juventus, Leeds United
, Newcastle United
, Sheffield United
, Wrexham and Sydney Olympic. Rush made 73 appearances for the Wales national football team
and he remains the record goalscorer for Wales with 28 goals between 1980 and 1996.
Since retiring as a player in 1999, Rush has had a stint as manager of Chester City (2004–5), and has worked as a television football pundit. He was also very well known for his big black moustache.
third round win at Second Division
giants Newcastle United in January 1980, with Chester equalling their best run by reaching the last 16 where they narrowly lost to Ipswich Town
two rounds later. His last game for Chester was a 2–1 win over Southend United
at Sealand Road
on 26 April 1980 in which he did not score.
Despite interest from Manchester City
, and in spite of Rush being a boyhood Everton
fan, Liverpool won the race to sign the 18-year old in April 1980, though he had to remain at Chester until the end of the season as the transfer deadline (27 March 1980) had now passed.
Manager Bob Paisley
paid a record fee for a teenager of £300,000. It remained Chester's record sale until they went bankrupt in March 2010.
Rush was managed throughout his time at Chester by Alan Oakes
, although much of the credit for his development is given to youth manager Cliff Sear
. Nearly 20 years later, Rush and Sear worked together on the coaching staff at Wrexham.
fixture at Portman Road
against Ipswich Town
. He was standing in for his future strike-partner, Kenny Dalglish (at the time one of the most highly-rated strikers in the world), and wore his No 7 shirt. Midfielder Jimmy Case
scored Liverpool's only goal in a 1–1 draw. At this stage, Liverpool were defending the league title and the League Cup, and also contending for the European Cup, while Ipswich were emerging as surprise title contenders. Ultimately, Liverpool disappointed in the league and finished fifth (with Aston Villa
winning the title), but they did win the European Cup (for the third time) and the League Cup (for the first time).
Rush was used sporadically during his first season at the club as Liverpool had a policy of bringing in young talent and playing them in the reserves to learn 'the Liverpool way'. Rush was treated no differently and had to begin his time at the club as a squad member rather than being thrown into the first team.
This learning period was hard and not at all 'Rush-like', as the goals did not flow, almost leading to the eager youngster leaving Anfield
in the search of regular first-team football. But after a talk with the very shrewd Paisley, who told him to "be more selfish in front of goal", Rush decided to stay and fight for a place.
Rush's first goal for the club took time to arrive, but it eventually came on 30 September 1981 during a European Cup
first round second leg tie at Anfield against Oulun Palloseura
. Liverpool had already won the first leg at the Raatti Stadium
1–0, and the second leg proved to be a formality as they trounced the Finnish team 7–0, Rush scoring in the 67th minute after coming on three minutes earlier for David Johnson.
His first two league goals came on 10 October 1981 in a 3-0 home win over Leeds United, and a month later he scored in the Merseyside derby
at Anfield in a 3-1 win. After Christmas
however, Rush went into overdrive as Liverpool began a dramatic rise from mid table to the top of the table. He scored a hat-trick in the 4-0 away league win over Notts County
on 26 January 1982, and was on the scoresheet in both of the next two games. He managed a total of eight goals in the League Cup (one of them in the final win over Tottenham Hotspur
) and three of them in the FA Cup
campaign which ended in a fifth round defeat by Chelsea
.
He ended the season as the club's top scorer, netting 30 times in just 49 appearances in all competitions, a ratio of 1 goal every 1.6 games. 17 of these goals came in the League as he helped the Reds reclaim the League championship from holders Aston Villa
. The title triumph was all the more impressive by the fact that Liverpool had entered 1982 in 10th place, with the likes of Manchester United
and minnows Swansea City leading the pack then, before a turnaround in Liverpool's fortunes saw the league championship trophy return to Anfield
after two years away. He also scored a goal to help Liverpool win the 1982 Football League Cup Final
against Tottenham Hotspur
.
He was voted PFA Young Player of the Year
in 1983 after inspiring Liverpool to a second successive First Division/League Cup
double, though once again success eluded them in the European Cup. He scored 24 League goals as the Reds finished 11 points clear of runners-up Watford
and were virtually uncontested in the title chase in the later part of the season. On 6 November 1982 Rush scored four goals against Everton in a 5–0 victory, a post-war record for goals by a single player in a Merseyside derby
.
The League Cup (Liverpool's third successive triumph in this competition) was added through a 2–1 win over bitter rivals Manchester United
after extra time at Wembley. He was voted PFA Player of the Year and BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year
in 1984 as Liverpool retained both the League and the League Cup and won the European Cup to complete a unique treble that season. It was no surprise that Rush also added the Football Writers Footballer of the Year
to the PFA award he had already claimed - the same feat that his strike partner Kenny Dalglish
had achieved a year earlier.
He scored 47 goals in 65 games (making him the highest goalscorer in all competitions for any professional club that season), a goal every 1.4 matches, as Liverpool finished three points clear of closest rivals Southampton
in the League, beat derby
rivals Everton
1–0 in the replayed final of the League Cup (after a 0–0 draw in the first ever all-Merseyside
final), and won their fourth European Cup by defeating AS Roma 4–2 on penalties (Rush made it 3–2 before Bruce Grobbelaar
's famous 'jelly legs' antics) following a 1–1 draw after extra time.
The 1984–85
season was Liverpool's first trophyless season in ten years, though they did reach their fifth European Cup final against Juventus at the Heysel Stadium, Brussels
, Belgium. This final was to end in disaster
as, before the match kicked off, rioting football hooligans caused a retaining wall to collapse, killing 39 Juventus supporters. It was only natural that this affected the players (including Rush), who surprisingly were ordered to play the final in spite of this terrible tragedy. The game, with both teams not totally committed or fully caring about the result, ended in a 1–0 win for Juventus. Liverpool were beaten to the title by neighbours Everton
, who were crowned champions with four matches to spare. The sequel to the ban was an indefinite ban on all English clubs in European competition, with Liverpool set to serve an extra season once the ban was lifted on other English clubs. This meant that Rush and Liverpool were unable to compete in the 1985–86 UEFA Cup
.
The 1985–86 season
was much better for the Reds and Rush. He scored twice as Liverpool beat Southampton 2–0 in the FA Cup semi-final at White Hart Lane
, booking a place at Wembley to face neighbours Everton in the first all-Merseyside FA Cup final
. The Reds had just pipped their city rivals to the League title (which had also been contested with the likes of West Ham United
and Manchester United
) by beating Chelsea
(another team who had given them a run for their money earlier in the title race) 1–0 at Stamford Bridge
, so the already monumental final was doubly important for both sides. If the Reds won, it would make them the fifth team to have won the double (and only the third to have done so in the 20th century. If Everton won, not only would they stop their arch rivals from completing the double but also win the major trophy that their football had, in many eyes, deserved. The Blues opened the scoring when Gary Lineker
outpaced Alan Hansen
to shoot past Grobbelaar at the second attempt and held this lead until half-time as Liverpool struggled to find their usual rhythm.
But after the half-time team-talk by the now player/manager, Kenny Dalglish, Liverpool looked a different side in the second half. With Rush leading the line brilliantly, they drew level in the 57th minute when he latched onto a defence splitting pass from Jan Mølby
to round Everton goalkeeper Bobby Mimms
and slot the ball into an empty net. Six minutes later, Mølby was again at the heart of another attack. Picking the ball up inside the Everton penalty area, he gained a yard of space and drilled a perfect cross for Craig Johnston
to score. Liverpool were now 2–1 up, but the game was in the balance until the 84th minute, when Ronnie Whelan
led another attack. With the game stretched, he picked the ball up and drove towards the edge of the Everton area. Dalglish made a run across his path into space, but Whelan used it as a dummy and clipped an exquisite ball over three Everton defenders into the path of Rush who, from the angle of the six-yard area, thumped the ball past Mimms, knocking over a camera in the process. Liverpool held on to win 3–1 and completed the first (and so far only) League and FA Cup double in the club's history. Rush added the Man of the Match award to his winner's medal. However, the ban on English clubs in European competition was continued, and Rush was unable to have a crack of winning another European Cup in 1986–87
.
Since Dalglish's appointment as player manager in the 1985 close season, Rush had often found himself partnered with Paul Walsh
in the Liverpool first team as Dalglish selected himself as a player less frequently.
with 30 First Division goals, but failed to win any major trophies as the Reds finished second to Everton in the league and lost to Arsenal in the League Cup final.http://www.sporting-heroes.net/football-heroes/displayhero_club.asp?HeroID=43342
The move was seen by many as a deal to help the healing process after Heysel and to re-open friendly links between the clubs. Rush was one of many notable English-based players who moved abroad during the mid and late 1980s, attracted overseas by the prospect of the higher wages as well as the chance to play in European competition as English clubs were still barred.
However it was viewed, it was a new challenge for Rush, who would have the task of unlocking the much tighter defences in Serie A
. Unfortunately, his time at Juventus was less than successful, as he scored only eight times in 29 games; though this partly explained by the Italian tradition at this time of tighter defences meaning that strikers tended to score fewer goals in Italy than they did in England.
He had a hard time settling in Turin
, once allegedly remarking, "It's like living in a foreign country." However in his autobiography Rush says that this was a joke made up by Kenny Dalglish, then in an interview published in The Irish Times
in 2008, claimed that the quote was in fact fictional.
After just one season at the Stadio Comunale
, he returned to Anfield, rejoining Liverpool for £2.7m on 18 August 1988 – a record signing for an English club at the time, which remained unbroken for three years. It was the third time that summer that the national transfer record had been broken.
The news of Rush's imminent return was given to Liverpool fans before they journeyed south to London for yet another Charity Shield match. Before the game started, they were in full voice. However, this time they had a new song: "Rushie is back, Rushie is back".
Although the Liverpool team of 1987–88
had played some outstanding football, such was Rush's stature amongst the Anfield faithful, they were pleased to see him return to the club.
Rush's departure from Liverpool had sparked the acquisition of new strikers John Aldridge
(whose physical resemblance to Rush was often remarked upon) and Peter Beardsley
, and on his return to the Liverpool side he was partnered alongside these players to form a 4–3–3 formation. Rush's former strike partner Kenny Dalglish
(who had been appointed player-manager in 1985) was still registered as a player but now he was in his 37th year and rarely played in the first team, retiring completely in 1990.
Rush published a diary of his frustrating time in Italy titled My Italian Diary, 1989. In it, he reflected on his struggles to integrate himself in the dressing room at Juventus and adapt to the Italian style of play.
and John Aldridge
, who came to Anfield as a replacement for Rush. It was deemed that the pair were too similar in style to be able to play together. Aldridge started the season in front of Rush and consistently scored goals, thus keeping the Welshman on the bench. As the season progressed, Rush came into some form. Rush had again scored twice against Everton in a thrilling 3–2 win in the 1989 FA Cup Final
. He came off the bench to replace Aldridge, who had opened the scoring for Liverpool in the fourth minute of the game. The sides were locked at 1–1 after 90 minutes, but Rush put the Reds ahead in the fourth minute of extra time. Everton midfielder Stuart McCall
then scored his, and the Toffees', second equaliser, but Rush came up with the goods once more with an incisive finish in the 103rd minute to win the Cup for Liverpool.
The 1989 FA Cup Final carried even greater significance because of the events of 15 April that year. In the semi-final, Liverpool had been drawn against Nottingham Forest
at Hillsborough
, home of Sheffield Wednesday
. However, the game was brought to an abrupt end at 3.06pm due to the unfolding disaster
. 94 fans were crushed to death that day, with the final death toll eventually reaching 96. Rush, along with his teammates, attended many of the funerals.
Rush featured in the 1989 League title decider
against Arsenal
at Anfield. The Gunners needed to win by a two goal margin to become champions, with a last-minute Michael Thomas goal famously giving them the title. Rush was injured during the first half of the game and had to be replaced by Peter Beardsley
.
At the end of that season, UEFA
voted for the ban on English teams in European competitions to continue for at least one more season, meaning that Rush and his team-mates would be unable to challenge for the Cup Winners' Cup
.
The players and staff of Liverpool Football Club, including Rush, were commended for their exemplary behaviour during the darkest days in the club's history. Everton fans were immensely supportive of their neighbours during this bleak period and the fact that Liverpool would meet their side in the Wembley final made for the perfect match. The fans once again stood side by side in their blue and red colours and did the city and people of Liverpool proud, as did the players and officials of both clubs.
The 1989–90 season saw Rush win another League title, his fifth and last, as Liverpool finished nine points clear of Aston Villa, with Rush scoring 18 times in 36 games. However, another bid for the League–FA Cup double failed as the Reds suffered a shock FA Cup semi-final defeat to Crystal Palace
, even though Rush had given the Reds the lead with a goal in the 14th minute. The game ended in a 4–3 defeat, even more incredible considering that Liverpool had crushed the newly promoted South London
ers 9–0
in a league game earlier in the season.
Although the ban on English clubs in European competition was lifted for the 1990–91 season, Liverpool were unable to compete in the 1990–91 European Cup
as UEFA
ruled that they would have to serve an extra year.
1990–91
saw Rush continue to score regularly and Liverpool led the table from the start of the season until January, but they were then overhauled by Arsenal
and on 22 February 1991 Dalglish announced his resignation as manager. He was replaced by Graeme Souness
but the change of manager was not enough to prevent the league title from slipping away from Anfield
. Shortly after Dalglish's resignation, Liverpool were eliminated from the FA Cup in the fifth round by neighbours Everton, seeing their double hopes eliminated for the fourth season running (though this time at a much earlier stage).
However, Liverpool finished second and were finally readmitted to European competition, qualifying for the UEFA Cup
and giving Rush and his team-mates their first chance of European action since 1984–85.
In 1992, he picked up a third FA Cup winners' medal, scoring Liverpool's second goal, in the 67th minute, in the 2–0 win against Second Division Sunderland
at Wembley. This gave Rush and his colleagues another chance of European football, this time in the shape of the Cup Winners' Cup.
In the League, injuries restricted him to just 18 League games and three goals that season. However, his third goal came in a crucial 2–0 home win over Manchester United on 26 April 1992 which denied their arch-rivals the championship, the title going instead to Leeds United. Surprisingly, this was the first time he had scored against Manchester United. Liverpool managed only a sixth-place finish in the league that season, the first time since 1981 that they had not finished champions or runners-up.
1992–93
was perhaps Liverpool's hardest season since beginning their current top flight tenure in 1962. They failed to mount a challenge for the new Premier League title, and as late as March they stood 15th in the table. Dismal form in the league had seen Rush dropped from the first eleven, with Souness favouring the likes of Ronny Rosenthal
and Paul Stewart, but Rush returned to his peak during the final weeks of the season and he finished the season as the club's top scorer with 14 league goals. He topped the goalscoring charts once again in 1993–94
, beginning the season with Nigel Clough
as his strike-partner until the brilliant young Robbie Fowler
broke into the first team. It was another disappointing season for Liverpool, however, as they continue to perform unremarkably in the Premier League and manager Graeme Souness stepped down in late January following a shock FA Cup
exit at the hands of Bristol City
. Long-serving coach Roy Evans
took over as manager. Liverpool finished eighth in the league, once again missing out on European competition.
Rush picked up his fifth League Cup winner's medal in 1995, when two goals from Steve McManaman
ended Bolton Wanderers
' dreams of a shock result, Liverpool running out 2–1 winners. Earlier in the competition Rush scored a hat trick as Liverpool beat Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park, the team who would go on to win the Premier League that season. Liverpool themselves achieved their best league finish since 1991, as they finished fourth in the Premier League.
The 1995 close season saw Liverpool pay a national record fee of £8.4million for Nottingham Forest
striker Stan Collymore
, putting Rush's future at Anfield under serious doubt. However, he began the season as Liverpool's first choice striker alongside Collymore, only to surrender his place in the first eleven to Robbie Fowler as the season wore on.
In March 1996, it was announced that Rush would be leaving Anfield
on a free transfer when his contract expired on 1 June.
His long association with the Reds ended with a substitute appearance in the 1996 FA Cup Final
against Manchester United. A hugely disappointing game looked to be heading for extra time and even a replay until Eric Cantona
popped up with a late winner to give the Old Trafford side a 1–0 victory. Sadly Rush's last touch of the ball in a Liverpool shirt was when it bounced off his shoulder to set Eric Cantona up for his winning goal.
on 20 May 1996 when he agreed to sign for Leeds United
. Rush spent a season with the Yorkshire
side but scored just three times in 36 Premier League games and was given a free transfer at the end of the 1996–97 campaign
. These were the last league goals of his career in English football.
He had been brought to Elland Road
by manager Howard Wilkinson
, who was sacked a month into the season to be replaced by George Graham
.
He then linked up with Kenny Dalglish
at Newcastle United
on a one-year contract but lost his place in the side after Christmas, when Alan Shearer
returned from a long-term injury. However, Rush did score an important goal in a 1–0 win over Everton in the 3rd round of the FA Cup, his 43rd in the competition (a 20th-century record). He scored one other goal for Newcastle in a League Cup tie with Hull City.
He had a loan spell with Sheffield United
later in the season, before leaving St James's Park in the summer of 1998 to sign, amid much fanfare, for Wrexham
. The 37-year-old Rush failed to score in 18 Division Two
starts for the North Wales
club, and was moved into midfield towards the end of the season. He made a brief playing comeback with Sydney Olympic in Australia, scoring one goal in three games, before finally retiring, aged 39, in 2000.
), in August 2004. Chester had made a dreadful start to their first season back in the Football League and Rush had a hard time at the helm. After losing 3–1 at Boston United in their first game in charge, they strung together a two month unbeaten run and he led the club to the FA Cup
third round. Rush seemed to be answering his critics, including former Liverpool team-mate Mark Lawrenson
, who doubted whether his tactical and coaching abilities could match his striking history.
But after Rush ruled himself out of the running for the vacant Welsh manager's job on 1 November 2004 things never seemed to go as well. Several heavy defeats were inflicted and Rush was criticised for the physical and long-ball tactics his managerial team opted to use. Despite pressure from chairman Stephen Vaughan
, Rush refused to resign after a humiliating 5–0 loss to neighbours Shrewsbury Town in February 2005. But when Vaughan sacked Aizlewood in April (after a 1–0 defeat at Darlington
), Rush resigned on principle. By the point of his resignation, Chester were virtually safe from relegation. His spell in charge saw youngsters such as Robbie Booth
, Michael Walsh
and Shaun Whalley
all given their Football League
debuts, while players including Michael Brown
, George Elokobi
and Robbie Foy
all spent time on loan at the club.
Rush was interviewed for the Peterborough United
manager's job shortly after this but lost out to Mark Wright, who had played in the same Liverpool team as Rush from 1991 to 1996, and had preceded Rush as Chester manager.
, after the Welsh side were drawn against Liverpool for their opening round Champions League
qualifying match, but later decided against this.
Since November 2005, Rush has been involved in media work within the game, including a stint as an analyst with ESPN
. He also appears as a pundit and reporter for Sky Sports
and Sky Sports News
. he has also done work on LFCTV
On 27 April 2006, Rush was involved in the Marina Dalglish charity match, which pitted the 1986 FA Cup final teams of Liverpool and Everton against each other in aid of Breast Cancer Research, as Kenny Dalglish's wife Marina had been suffering from breast cancer
and the proceeds from the match were being donated to the charity.
Rush was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame
in 2006 due to his achievements in the game.
Rush can still be seen wearing the red of Liverpool as he regularly appears for the Masters five-a-side team and as one of Liverpool's 'old boys' on public relations tours for the club.
On 7 September 2007 it was announced that Rush had been appointed Elite Performance Director for the Welsh Football Trust, a part-time role in which he would help develop the next generation of players for Wales' national teams.
Rush released his autobiography on 21 August 2008, Rush: The Autobiography, through Ebury Press.
On 26 April 2010, it was announced that Rush had returned to work with Liverpool F.C., becoming the Club's new Soccer Schools Ambassador and it was announced he would also work with the Club's commercial team to help develop and support partnerships with other global sponsors and brands.
debut before he had been handed his first start for Liverpool, playing his first match on 21 May 1980 against Scotland
. Rush played regularly for the Welsh national team scoring a record 28 goals in 73 games.
Unfortunately during his career the team never qualified for a major tournament, although in 1991 he scored the winning goal in a memorable Euro 92 qualifier
against Germany on 5 June 1991.Wales would narrowly miss out on qualifying for the finals, as happened during Rush's career for World Cups in 1982, 1986 and 1994 and Euro 88. This puts him in a group with other football legends such as George Best
, Jari Litmanen
and fellow Welshman Ryan Giggs
to have never played in a major international tournament.
Another famous international winner by Rush was in a friendly against Italy in Brescia
in June 1988. After a largely disappointing year in Italy, Rush helped silence his critics by bagging the only goal as Wales claimed a shock 1–0 win.
* Cup - National Cup & League Cup
* Other - National Super Cup, Intercontinental Cup, Super Cup ScreenSport, Football League Trophy & Play-Off Games
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, (born 20 October 1961) is a retired football player from Flint
Flint, Flintshire
Flint is a town in Flintshire, North Wales, lying on the estuary of the River Dee. It was the county town of the historic county of Flintshire and today is the third largest town in Flintshire. According to the 2001 Census the population of the community of Flint was 12,804...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. He is best remembered as a player for Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
, where he was among the top striker
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
s in the English game in the 1980s and 1990s. He also had spells playing at Chester City
Chester City F.C.
Chester City Football Club was an English football team from Chester. The club was founded as Chester F.C., and joined the Football League in 1931, spending most of their time in the lower divisions. They changed their name to Chester City in 1983. Chester won their first league title in 2004, the...
, Juventus, Leeds United
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
, Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
, Sheffield United
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
, Wrexham and Sydney Olympic. Rush made 73 appearances for the Wales national football team
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
and he remains the record goalscorer for Wales with 28 goals between 1980 and 1996.
Since retiring as a player in 1999, Rush has had a stint as manager of Chester City (2004–5), and has worked as a television football pundit. He was also very well known for his big black moustache.
Biography
Rush's reputation was enhanced by scoring for Chester in a shock 2–0 FA CupFA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
third round win at Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
giants Newcastle United in January 1980, with Chester equalling their best run by reaching the last 16 where they narrowly lost to Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town F.C.
Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02....
two rounds later. His last game for Chester was a 2–1 win over Southend United
Southend United F.C.
Southend United Football Club is an English football club based at Roots Hall Stadium, Prittlewell, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, who play in Football League Two. Their home ground is Roots Hall, and the club plan to move into a new 22,000-seater stadium located at Fossetts Farm.-Stadium:The club has had...
at Sealand Road
Sealand Road
Sealand Road was the home stadium of Chester City Football Club from 1906 until 1990. Although officially known simply as The Stadium, it was more commonly referred to as Sealand Road...
on 26 April 1980 in which he did not score.
Despite interest from Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
, and in spite of Rush being a boyhood Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
fan, Liverpool won the race to sign the 18-year old in April 1980, though he had to remain at Chester until the end of the season as the transfer deadline (27 March 1980) had now passed.
Manager Bob Paisley
Bob Paisley
Robert "Bob" Paisley OBE was an English football half back turned manager. His association with Liverpool was to span nearly half a century including his contribution to the club, first as a player, then as a physiotherapist and coach, and finally as manager.In nine years as manager between 1974...
paid a record fee for a teenager of £300,000. It remained Chester's record sale until they went bankrupt in March 2010.
Rush was managed throughout his time at Chester by Alan Oakes
Alan Oakes
Alan Arthur Oakes is an English footballer who holds Manchester City's all-time record for appearances. Thanks to a further six year stint at Chester , Oakes played 776 Football League matches – the seventh most in history.-Permanent Fixture with Man City:Oakes signed for Manchester City on...
, although much of the credit for his development is given to youth manager Cliff Sear
Cliff Sear
Cliff Sear was a Welsh football left back who played for Manchester City between 1956 and 1967. During this time he made 250 appearances for the team and scored 1 goal....
. Nearly 20 years later, Rush and Sear worked together on the coaching staff at Wrexham.
Liverpool: 1980–1987
Rush had actually made his international debut, in May 1980, just before he officially became a Liverpool player. His Reds debut came on the 13 December that year in a First DivisionFootball League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
fixture at Portman Road
Portman Road
Portman Road is an association football stadium in Ipswich, Suffolk, England. It has been the home ground of Ipswich Town F.C. since 1884. The stadium has also hosted a number of England youth international matches, and one senior England friendly international match, against Croatia in 2003...
against Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town F.C.
Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02....
. He was standing in for his future strike-partner, Kenny Dalglish (at the time one of the most highly-rated strikers in the world), and wore his No 7 shirt. Midfielder Jimmy Case
Jimmy Case
James Robert Case is a retired English football player who shot to fame with the all-conquering Liverpool side of the 1970s and became known as a player with one of the hardest shots in the game.-Early life:...
scored Liverpool's only goal in a 1–1 draw. At this stage, Liverpool were defending the league title and the League Cup, and also contending for the European Cup, while Ipswich were emerging as surprise title contenders. Ultimately, Liverpool disappointed in the league and finished fifth (with Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
winning the title), but they did win the European Cup (for the third time) and the League Cup (for the first time).
Rush was used sporadically during his first season at the club as Liverpool had a policy of bringing in young talent and playing them in the reserves to learn 'the Liverpool way'. Rush was treated no differently and had to begin his time at the club as a squad member rather than being thrown into the first team.
This learning period was hard and not at all 'Rush-like', as the goals did not flow, almost leading to the eager youngster leaving Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
in the search of regular first-team football. But after a talk with the very shrewd Paisley, who told him to "be more selfish in front of goal", Rush decided to stay and fight for a place.
Rush's first goal for the club took time to arrive, but it eventually came on 30 September 1981 during a European Cup
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
first round second leg tie at Anfield against Oulun Palloseura
Oulun Palloseura
Oulun Palloseura, OPS for short, is a Finnish football club based in Oulu.The football team is currently playing in the Finnish second tier, Ykkönen.-Season to season:-Current Squad 2011:-External links:*...
. Liverpool had already won the first leg at the Raatti Stadium
Raatti Stadion
Raatti Stadion is a multi-purpose stadium in Oulu, Finland. It is currently used mostly for football matches. The stadium holds 12,000 people and was built in 1952....
1–0, and the second leg proved to be a formality as they trounced the Finnish team 7–0, Rush scoring in the 67th minute after coming on three minutes earlier for David Johnson.
His first two league goals came on 10 October 1981 in a 3-0 home win over Leeds United, and a month later he scored in the Merseyside derby
Merseyside derby
The Merseyside derby is the name given to any football match contested between Everton and Liverpool football clubs, the two most successful clubs from the city of Liverpool in England...
at Anfield in a 3-1 win. After Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
however, Rush went into overdrive as Liverpool began a dramatic rise from mid table to the top of the table. He scored a hat-trick in the 4-0 away league win over Notts County
Notts County F.C.
Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system...
on 26 January 1982, and was on the scoresheet in both of the next two games. He managed a total of eight goals in the League Cup (one of them in the final win over Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
) and three of them in the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
campaign which ended in a fifth round defeat by Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
.
He ended the season as the club's top scorer, netting 30 times in just 49 appearances in all competitions, a ratio of 1 goal every 1.6 games. 17 of these goals came in the League as he helped the Reds reclaim the League championship from holders Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
. The title triumph was all the more impressive by the fact that Liverpool had entered 1982 in 10th place, with the likes of Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
and minnows Swansea City leading the pack then, before a turnaround in Liverpool's fortunes saw the league championship trophy return to Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
after two years away. He also scored a goal to help Liverpool win the 1982 Football League Cup Final
1982 Football League Cup Final
The 1982 Milk Cup Final was an association football match between Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur. Liverpool won the match 3–1 after extra time with goals from Ian Rush and Ronnie Whelan . The match took place on 13 March 1982.-Details:...
against Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
.
He was voted PFA Young Player of the Year
PFA Young Player of the Year
The Professional Footballers' Association Young Player of the Year is an annual award given to the player aged 23 or under at the start of the season who is adjudged to have been the best of the season in English football...
in 1983 after inspiring Liverpool to a second successive First Division/League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
double, though once again success eluded them in the European Cup. He scored 24 League goals as the Reds finished 11 points clear of runners-up Watford
Watford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...
and were virtually uncontested in the title chase in the later part of the season. On 6 November 1982 Rush scored four goals against Everton in a 5–0 victory, a post-war record for goals by a single player in a Merseyside derby
Merseyside derby
The Merseyside derby is the name given to any football match contested between Everton and Liverpool football clubs, the two most successful clubs from the city of Liverpool in England...
.
The League Cup (Liverpool's third successive triumph in this competition) was added through a 2–1 win over bitter rivals Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
after extra time at Wembley. He was voted PFA Player of the Year and BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year
BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year
The BBC Cymru Wales Sports Personality of the Year is a televised sporting competition, broadcast on BBC Two every year; and the most prestigious annual sport award in Wales. It was first awarded in 1954, and is currently organised by BBC Cymru Wales...
in 1984 as Liverpool retained both the League and the League Cup and won the European Cup to complete a unique treble that season. It was no surprise that Rush also added the Football Writers Footballer of the Year
Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year
The Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year is an annual award given to the player who is adjudged to have been the best of the season in English football...
to the PFA award he had already claimed - the same feat that his strike partner Kenny Dalglish
Kenny Dalglish
Kenneth Mathieson "Kenny" Dalglish MBE is a Scottish former footballer and the current manager of Liverpool F.C.. In a 22-year playing career, he played for two club teams, Celtic and Liverpool, winning numerous honours with both. He is the most capped Scottish player, with 102 appearances, and...
had achieved a year earlier.
He scored 47 goals in 65 games (making him the highest goalscorer in all competitions for any professional club that season), a goal every 1.4 matches, as Liverpool finished three points clear of closest rivals Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
in the League, beat derby
Merseyside derby
The Merseyside derby is the name given to any football match contested between Everton and Liverpool football clubs, the two most successful clubs from the city of Liverpool in England...
rivals Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
1–0 in the replayed final of the League Cup (after a 0–0 draw in the first ever all-Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
final), and won their fourth European Cup by defeating AS Roma 4–2 on penalties (Rush made it 3–2 before Bruce Grobbelaar
Bruce Grobbelaar
Bruce David Grobbelaar is a former football goalkeeper and manager.He played for a number of clubs in a career which spanned for more than 20 years at professional level, most notably Liverpool during their dominant period in the 1980s and early 1990s.-Early years:In his teenage years, Grobbelaar...
's famous 'jelly legs' antics) following a 1–1 draw after extra time.
The 1984–85
1984-85 in English football
The 1984–85 season was the 105th season of competitive football in England.-Bradford City disaster:56 spectators died and more than 200 were injured when a fire ripped through the Main Stand at Valley Parade during Bradford City's Third Division fixture with Lincoln City on 11 May...
season was Liverpool's first trophyless season in ten years, though they did reach their fifth European Cup final against Juventus at the Heysel Stadium, Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, Belgium. This final was to end in disaster
Heysel Stadium disaster
The Heysel Stadium disaster occurred on 29 May 1985 when escaping fans were pressed against a wall in the Heysel Stadium in Brussels, Belgium, as a result of rioting before the start of the 1985 European Cup Final between Liverpool of England and Juventus of Italy...
as, before the match kicked off, rioting football hooligans caused a retaining wall to collapse, killing 39 Juventus supporters. It was only natural that this affected the players (including Rush), who surprisingly were ordered to play the final in spite of this terrible tragedy. The game, with both teams not totally committed or fully caring about the result, ended in a 1–0 win for Juventus. Liverpool were beaten to the title by neighbours Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
, who were crowned champions with four matches to spare. The sequel to the ban was an indefinite ban on all English clubs in European competition, with Liverpool set to serve an extra season once the ban was lifted on other English clubs. This meant that Rush and Liverpool were unable to compete in the 1985–86 UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup 1985-86
The UEFA Cup 1985-86 was won by Real Madrid on aggregate over 1. FC Köln. English clubs were banned from European football competitions for five years, with Liverpool, who had already won the UEFA Cup twice, banned for six years...
.
The 1985–86 season
1985-86 in English football
The 1985–86 season was the 106th season of competitive football in England.- First Division :The championship crown went to Liverpool for the 16th time in their history at the end of their first season under the management of Kenny Dalglish, but they had to fight off some very stiff competition to...
was much better for the Reds and Rush. He scored twice as Liverpool beat Southampton 2–0 in the FA Cup semi-final at White Hart Lane
White Hart Lane
White Hart Lane is an all-seater football stadium in Tottenham, London, England. Built in 1899, it is the home of Tottenham Hotspur and, after numerous renovations, the stadium has a capacity of 36,230....
, booking a place at Wembley to face neighbours Everton in the first all-Merseyside FA Cup final
1986 FA Cup Final
The 1986 FA Cup Final was a Merseyside derby between Liverpool and Everton at Wembley. The match was played seven days after Liverpool had secured the league title, with Everton finishing as runners-up...
. The Reds had just pipped their city rivals to the League title (which had also been contested with the likes of West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
and Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
) by beating Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
(another team who had given them a run for their money earlier in the title race) 1–0 at Stamford Bridge
Stamford Bridge (stadium)
Stamford Bridge is a football stadium in Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, West London, and is the home of Chelsea Football Club. The stadium is located within the Moore Park Estate also known as Walham Green and is often referred to as simply The Bridge...
, so the already monumental final was doubly important for both sides. If the Reds won, it would make them the fifth team to have won the double (and only the third to have done so in the 20th century. If Everton won, not only would they stop their arch rivals from completing the double but also win the major trophy that their football had, in many eyes, deserved. The Blues opened the scoring when Gary Lineker
Gary Lineker
Gary Winston Lineker, OBE , is a former English footballer, who played as a striker. He is a sports broadcaster for the BBC, Al Jazeera Sports and Eredivisie Live...
outpaced Alan Hansen
Alan Hansen
Alan David Hansen is a Scottish former football player and BBC television football pundit. He played as a central defender for Partick Thistle, Liverpool and Scotland...
to shoot past Grobbelaar at the second attempt and held this lead until half-time as Liverpool struggled to find their usual rhythm.
But after the half-time team-talk by the now player/manager, Kenny Dalglish, Liverpool looked a different side in the second half. With Rush leading the line brilliantly, they drew level in the 57th minute when he latched onto a defence splitting pass from Jan Mølby
Jan Mølby
Jan Mølby is a Danish former international footballer who spent much of his professional football career at English club Liverpool.- Club career :...
to round Everton goalkeeper Bobby Mimms
Bobby Mimms
Robert Andrew "Bobby" Mimms is an English former football goalkeeper.-Playing career:Born in York, Mimms began his footballing career as an apprentice at Halifax Town. However, he failed to break into the first team and joined Rotherham United in November 1981 for a fee of £15,000...
and slot the ball into an empty net. Six minutes later, Mølby was again at the heart of another attack. Picking the ball up inside the Everton penalty area, he gained a yard of space and drilled a perfect cross for Craig Johnston
Craig Johnston
Craig Johnston is a former football player who was one of the first Australians to make a major impact in the English game. He is remembered for his time spent with Liverpool throughout the 1980s...
to score. Liverpool were now 2–1 up, but the game was in the balance until the 84th minute, when Ronnie Whelan
Ronnie Whelan
Ronald Andrew "Ronnie" Whelan is a former Irish football midfielder, and sometimes defender, who was an integral part of the dominant Liverpool side of the 1980s...
led another attack. With the game stretched, he picked the ball up and drove towards the edge of the Everton area. Dalglish made a run across his path into space, but Whelan used it as a dummy and clipped an exquisite ball over three Everton defenders into the path of Rush who, from the angle of the six-yard area, thumped the ball past Mimms, knocking over a camera in the process. Liverpool held on to win 3–1 and completed the first (and so far only) League and FA Cup double in the club's history. Rush added the Man of the Match award to his winner's medal. However, the ban on English clubs in European competition was continued, and Rush was unable to have a crack of winning another European Cup in 1986–87
European Cup 1986-87
The season 1986–87 of the European Cup football club tournament was won by Porto, coming from behind in the final against Bayern Munich, giving Portugal its first title since 1962....
.
Since Dalglish's appointment as player manager in the 1985 close season, Rush had often found himself partnered with Paul Walsh
Paul Walsh
Paul Anthony Walsh is a retired English footballer.Walsh was a diminutive and pacy centre forward who shot to fame in the 1980s during spells with Charlton, Luton, Liverpool and Tottenham.-Charlton Athletic:...
in the Liverpool first team as Dalglish selected himself as a player less frequently.
Juventus, 1987–1988
After attracting much interest from top European sides, Rush accepted an offer to sign for Italian club Juventus on 2 July 1986. However, he would continue to play at Liverpool for one season on loan before making his debut for Juventus. He was the second highest goalscorer in the Football League for the 1986-87 season1986-87 in English football
The 1986–87 season was the 107th season of competitive football in England.- First Division :The First Division championship went to Everton in their final season under the management of Howard Kendall before his departure to Athletic Bilbao. His side overcame a spate of injuries to fight off...
with 30 First Division goals, but failed to win any major trophies as the Reds finished second to Everton in the league and lost to Arsenal in the League Cup final.http://www.sporting-heroes.net/football-heroes/displayhero_club.asp?HeroID=43342
The move was seen by many as a deal to help the healing process after Heysel and to re-open friendly links between the clubs. Rush was one of many notable English-based players who moved abroad during the mid and late 1980s, attracted overseas by the prospect of the higher wages as well as the chance to play in European competition as English clubs were still barred.
However it was viewed, it was a new challenge for Rush, who would have the task of unlocking the much tighter defences in Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
. Unfortunately, his time at Juventus was less than successful, as he scored only eight times in 29 games; though this partly explained by the Italian tradition at this time of tighter defences meaning that strikers tended to score fewer goals in Italy than they did in England.
He had a hard time settling in Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
, once allegedly remarking, "It's like living in a foreign country." However in his autobiography Rush says that this was a joke made up by Kenny Dalglish, then in an interview published in The Irish Times
The Irish Times
The Irish Times is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Kevin O'Sullivan who succeeded Geraldine Kennedy in 2011; the deputy editor is Paul O'Neill. The Irish Times is considered to be Ireland's newspaper of record, and is published every day except Sundays...
in 2008, claimed that the quote was in fact fictional.
After just one season at the Stadio Comunale
Stadio Grande Torino
Stadio Olimpico di Torino is a stadium located in the Santa Rita district in the south of Turin, Italy that is the home of Serie B club Torino...
, he returned to Anfield, rejoining Liverpool for £2.7m on 18 August 1988 – a record signing for an English club at the time, which remained unbroken for three years. It was the third time that summer that the national transfer record had been broken.
The news of Rush's imminent return was given to Liverpool fans before they journeyed south to London for yet another Charity Shield match. Before the game started, they were in full voice. However, this time they had a new song: "Rushie is back, Rushie is back".
Although the Liverpool team of 1987–88
1987-88 in English football
The 1987–88 season was the 120th season of competitive football in England.- First Division :Liverpool won the league title with a comfortable nine-point margin and just two defeats all season....
had played some outstanding football, such was Rush's stature amongst the Anfield faithful, they were pleased to see him return to the club.
Rush's departure from Liverpool had sparked the acquisition of new strikers John Aldridge
John Aldridge
John William Aldridge is a former Republic of Ireland international footballer and football manager...
(whose physical resemblance to Rush was often remarked upon) and Peter Beardsley
Peter Beardsley
Peter Andrew Beardsley MBE is an English former footballer who played between 1979 and 1999. He once set a record transfer fee in the game and represented his country 59 times between 1986 and 1996, once as captain...
, and on his return to the Liverpool side he was partnered alongside these players to form a 4–3–3 formation. Rush's former strike partner Kenny Dalglish
Kenny Dalglish
Kenneth Mathieson "Kenny" Dalglish MBE is a Scottish former footballer and the current manager of Liverpool F.C.. In a 22-year playing career, he played for two club teams, Celtic and Liverpool, winning numerous honours with both. He is the most capped Scottish player, with 102 appearances, and...
(who had been appointed player-manager in 1985) was still registered as a player but now he was in his 37th year and rarely played in the first team, retiring completely in 1990.
Rush published a diary of his frustrating time in Italy titled My Italian Diary, 1989. In it, he reflected on his struggles to integrate himself in the dressing room at Juventus and adapt to the Italian style of play.
Second spell at Anfield, 1988–1996
Rush had serious competition for the striking berth alongside Peter BeardsleyPeter Beardsley
Peter Andrew Beardsley MBE is an English former footballer who played between 1979 and 1999. He once set a record transfer fee in the game and represented his country 59 times between 1986 and 1996, once as captain...
and John Aldridge
John Aldridge
John William Aldridge is a former Republic of Ireland international footballer and football manager...
, who came to Anfield as a replacement for Rush. It was deemed that the pair were too similar in style to be able to play together. Aldridge started the season in front of Rush and consistently scored goals, thus keeping the Welshman on the bench. As the season progressed, Rush came into some form. Rush had again scored twice against Everton in a thrilling 3–2 win in the 1989 FA Cup Final
1989 FA Cup Final
The 1989 FA Cup Final was the final of the 1988–89 FA Cup, the top football knockout competition in England. The match was a Merseyside derby between Liverpool and Everton, played at Wembley Stadium, London, on 20 May 1989. Liverpool won 3–2 after extra time, with goals from John Aldridge and two...
. He came off the bench to replace Aldridge, who had opened the scoring for Liverpool in the fourth minute of the game. The sides were locked at 1–1 after 90 minutes, but Rush put the Reds ahead in the fourth minute of extra time. Everton midfielder Stuart McCall
Stuart McCall
Andrew Stuart Murray McCall , usually known as Stuart McCall, is a former footballer who played in central midfield. He played a total of 763 league games during his career, the 13th highest of all British footballers...
then scored his, and the Toffees', second equaliser, but Rush came up with the goods once more with an incisive finish in the 103rd minute to win the Cup for Liverpool.
The 1989 FA Cup Final carried even greater significance because of the events of 15 April that year. In the semi-final, Liverpool had been drawn against Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
at Hillsborough
Hillsborough Stadium
Hillsborough Stadium is the home of Sheffield Wednesday football club, Sheffield, England. Football has been played at the ground since it was opened on 2 September 1899, when Wednesday moved from their original ground at Olive Grove. Today it is a 39,812 capacity all-seater stadium, making it the...
, home of Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
. However, the game was brought to an abrupt end at 3.06pm due to the unfolding disaster
Hillsborough disaster
The Hillsborough disaster was a human crush that occurred on 15 April 1989 at Hillsborough, a football stadium, the home of Sheffield Wednesday F.C. in Sheffield, England, resulting in the deaths of 96 people, and 766 being injured, all fans of Liverpool F.C....
. 94 fans were crushed to death that day, with the final death toll eventually reaching 96. Rush, along with his teammates, attended many of the funerals.
Rush featured in the 1989 League title decider
Liverpool 0–2 Arsenal (26 May 1989)
The final match of the 1988–89 English Football League season was contested on 26 May 1989, between Liverpool and Arsenal, at Liverpool's Anfield ground. By sheer coincidence, it was the match between the top two teams in the First Division and the teams were close enough on points for the match to...
against Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
at Anfield. The Gunners needed to win by a two goal margin to become champions, with a last-minute Michael Thomas goal famously giving them the title. Rush was injured during the first half of the game and had to be replaced by Peter Beardsley
Peter Beardsley
Peter Andrew Beardsley MBE is an English former footballer who played between 1979 and 1999. He once set a record transfer fee in the game and represented his country 59 times between 1986 and 1996, once as captain...
.
At the end of that season, UEFA
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
voted for the ban on English teams in European competitions to continue for at least one more season, meaning that Rush and his team-mates would be unable to challenge for the Cup Winners' Cup
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. The cup is one of the many inter-European club competitions that have been organised by UEFA. The first competition was held in the 1960–61 season—but...
.
The players and staff of Liverpool Football Club, including Rush, were commended for their exemplary behaviour during the darkest days in the club's history. Everton fans were immensely supportive of their neighbours during this bleak period and the fact that Liverpool would meet their side in the Wembley final made for the perfect match. The fans once again stood side by side in their blue and red colours and did the city and people of Liverpool proud, as did the players and officials of both clubs.
The 1989–90 season saw Rush win another League title, his fifth and last, as Liverpool finished nine points clear of Aston Villa, with Rush scoring 18 times in 36 games. However, another bid for the League–FA Cup double failed as the Reds suffered a shock FA Cup semi-final defeat to Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
, even though Rush had given the Reds the lead with a goal in the 14th minute. The game ended in a 4–3 defeat, even more incredible considering that Liverpool had crushed the newly promoted South London
South London
South London is the southern part of London, England, United Kingdom.According to the 2011 official Boundary Commission for England definition, South London includes the London boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Croydon, Greenwich, Kingston, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Southwark, Sutton and...
ers 9–0
Liverpool 9–0 Crystal Palace (1989)
On September 12, 1989, Liverpool faced Crystal Palace in the fifth game of the 1989-90 season. Crystal Palace were newly promoted to the Division, while Liverpool had been narrowly pipped to the League Title by Arsenal last season. Liverpool won the match 9–0, recording their biggest ever...
in a league game earlier in the season.
Although the ban on English clubs in European competition was lifted for the 1990–91 season, Liverpool were unable to compete in the 1990–91 European Cup
European Cup 1990-91
The 1990–91 season of the European Cup football club tournament was won for the first time by Red Star Belgrade on penalties in the final against Marseille. This was only the second time that an Eastern European side had won the competition, after Steaua Bucureşti of Romania...
as UEFA
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
ruled that they would have to serve an extra year.
1990–91
1990-91 in English football
The 1990–91 season was the 111th season of competitive football in England.- First Division :Arsenal won the league. Runners-up spot was achieved by Liverpool, who had led the table for much of the first half of the season but had been shell-shocked in February by the sudden resignation of manager...
saw Rush continue to score regularly and Liverpool led the table from the start of the season until January, but they were then overhauled by Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
and on 22 February 1991 Dalglish announced his resignation as manager. He was replaced by Graeme Souness
Graeme Souness
Graeme James Souness is a Scottish former professional football player and manager.Souness was the captain of the successful Liverpool team of the early 1980s and player-manager of Rangers in the late 1980s as well as captain of the Scottish national team. He also played for Tottenham Hotspur,...
but the change of manager was not enough to prevent the league title from slipping away from Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
. Shortly after Dalglish's resignation, Liverpool were eliminated from the FA Cup in the fifth round by neighbours Everton, seeing their double hopes eliminated for the fourth season running (though this time at a much earlier stage).
However, Liverpool finished second and were finally readmitted to European competition, qualifying for the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
and giving Rush and his team-mates their first chance of European action since 1984–85.
In 1992, he picked up a third FA Cup winners' medal, scoring Liverpool's second goal, in the 67th minute, in the 2–0 win against Second Division Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
at Wembley. This gave Rush and his colleagues another chance of European football, this time in the shape of the Cup Winners' Cup.
In the League, injuries restricted him to just 18 League games and three goals that season. However, his third goal came in a crucial 2–0 home win over Manchester United on 26 April 1992 which denied their arch-rivals the championship, the title going instead to Leeds United. Surprisingly, this was the first time he had scored against Manchester United. Liverpool managed only a sixth-place finish in the league that season, the first time since 1981 that they had not finished champions or runners-up.
1992–93
1992-93 in English football
The 1992–1993 season was the 113th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:This season saw the birth of the FA Premier League. This meant a break-up of the 104-year-old Football League that had operated until then with four divisions....
was perhaps Liverpool's hardest season since beginning their current top flight tenure in 1962. They failed to mount a challenge for the new Premier League title, and as late as March they stood 15th in the table. Dismal form in the league had seen Rush dropped from the first eleven, with Souness favouring the likes of Ronny Rosenthal
Ronny Rosenthal
Ronny Rosenthal also known by the nickname Rocket Ronny is an Israeli former footballer. After starting his career in the city of his birth with Maccabi Haifa, Rosenthal went on to play in Belgium with Club Brugge and Standard Liège. He moved to Liverpool in 1990 for a fee of £1.1million, becoming...
and Paul Stewart, but Rush returned to his peak during the final weeks of the season and he finished the season as the club's top scorer with 14 league goals. He topped the goalscoring charts once again in 1993–94
1993-94 in English football
The 1993-1994 season was the 114th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:From the start of this season, the FA Premier League would be sponsored by Carling Breweries - an association which would last for eight years...
, beginning the season with Nigel Clough
Nigel Clough
Nigel Howard Clough is an English former footballer and the current manager of Derby County. Playing predominately as a striker, but later in his career was used as a midfielder, Clough was capped by England 14 times in the early 1990s....
as his strike-partner until the brilliant young Robbie Fowler
Robbie Fowler
Robert Bernard Fowler is an English footballer who is currently player/manager for Thai Premier League club Muangthong United....
broke into the first team. It was another disappointing season for Liverpool, however, as they continue to perform unremarkably in the Premier League and manager Graeme Souness stepped down in late January following a shock FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
exit at the hands of Bristol City
Bristol City F.C.
Bristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol, England . They play at Ashton Gate, located in the south-west of the City...
. Long-serving coach Roy Evans
Roy Evans
Roy Evans CBE was a Liverpool football player who eventually rose through the coaching ranks to become team manager.-Career:...
took over as manager. Liverpool finished eighth in the league, once again missing out on European competition.
Rush picked up his fifth League Cup winner's medal in 1995, when two goals from Steve McManaman
Steve McManaman
Steven McManaman is a retired English footballer who played as a midfielder, winger and playmaker. Having spent his playing career at two of European football's most successful clubs of the 20th century, Liverpool and Real Madrid, as well as a spell at Manchester City, McManaman is the most...
ended Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
' dreams of a shock result, Liverpool running out 2–1 winners. Earlier in the competition Rush scored a hat trick as Liverpool beat Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park, the team who would go on to win the Premier League that season. Liverpool themselves achieved their best league finish since 1991, as they finished fourth in the Premier League.
The 1995 close season saw Liverpool pay a national record fee of £8.4million for Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
striker Stan Collymore
Stan Collymore
Stanley Victor "Stan" Collymore is an English football pundit and former footballer, who played from 1990 until 2001. He held the British transfer record when he moved from Nottingham Forest to Liverpool for £8.5 million in 1995 and was capped three times at senior level by the England...
, putting Rush's future at Anfield under serious doubt. However, he began the season as Liverpool's first choice striker alongside Collymore, only to surrender his place in the first eleven to Robbie Fowler as the season wore on.
In March 1996, it was announced that Rush would be leaving Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
on a free transfer when his contract expired on 1 June.
His long association with the Reds ended with a substitute appearance in the 1996 FA Cup Final
1996 FA Cup Final
The 1996 FA Cup Final was the 51st to be held at Wembley Stadium after the Second World War and was held between two of the biggest rivals in English football, Manchester United and Liverpool.- Build-up :...
against Manchester United. A hugely disappointing game looked to be heading for extra time and even a replay until Eric Cantona
Eric Cantona
Eric Daniel Pierre Cantona is a French actor and former French international footballer. He played for Auxerre, Martigues, Marseille, Bordeaux, Montpellier, Nîmes and Leeds United before ending his professional footballing career at Manchester United, where he won four Premier League titles in...
popped up with a late winner to give the Old Trafford side a 1–0 victory. Sadly Rush's last touch of the ball in a Liverpool shirt was when it bounced off his shoulder to set Eric Cantona up for his winning goal.
Later career, 1996–2000
Rush said farewell to AnfieldAnfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
on 20 May 1996 when he agreed to sign for Leeds United
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
. Rush spent a season with the Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
side but scored just three times in 36 Premier League games and was given a free transfer at the end of the 1996–97 campaign
1996-97 in English football
The 1996–1997 season was the 117th season of competitive football in England.Arrival into the league and exit out of the league returns in the fourth tier for the first time after its 3 season absence with only 1 relegation spot.- Premier League :...
. These were the last league goals of his career in English football.
He had been brought to Elland Road
Elland Road
Elland Road is an all-seater football stadium in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It has been the permanent residence of Leeds United A.F.C...
by manager Howard Wilkinson
Howard Wilkinson
Howard Wilkinson is a former English football player and manager, and has recently stepped down as a Non-Executive Director at Sheffield Wednesday after formerly relinquishing the chairman role to Milan Mandaric...
, who was sacked a month into the season to be replaced by George Graham
George Graham (footballer)
George Graham is a Scottish former football player and manager. He is best remembered for his success at Arsenal, as a player in the 1970s and then as manager from 1986 until 1995.-Early life:...
.
He then linked up with Kenny Dalglish
Kenny Dalglish
Kenneth Mathieson "Kenny" Dalglish MBE is a Scottish former footballer and the current manager of Liverpool F.C.. In a 22-year playing career, he played for two club teams, Celtic and Liverpool, winning numerous honours with both. He is the most capped Scottish player, with 102 appearances, and...
at Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
on a one-year contract but lost his place in the side after Christmas, when Alan Shearer
Alan Shearer
Alan Shearer OBE, DL is a retired English footballer. He played as a striker in the top level of English league football for Southampton, Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United and for the England national team...
returned from a long-term injury. However, Rush did score an important goal in a 1–0 win over Everton in the 3rd round of the FA Cup, his 43rd in the competition (a 20th-century record). He scored one other goal for Newcastle in a League Cup tie with Hull City.
He had a loan spell with Sheffield United
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
later in the season, before leaving St James's Park in the summer of 1998 to sign, amid much fanfare, for Wrexham
Wrexham A.F.C.
Wrexham Football Club are a professional football team based in Wrexham, north-east Wales, who play in the English football pyramid.Founded in 1872, they are one of the oldest surviving football clubs in Britain and the oldest professional club in Wales...
. The 37-year-old Rush failed to score in 18 Division Two
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
starts for the North Wales
North Wales
North Wales is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales. It is bordered to the south by the counties of Ceredigion and Powys in Mid Wales and to the east by the counties of Shropshire in the West Midlands and Cheshire in North West England...
club, and was moved into midfield towards the end of the season. He made a brief playing comeback with Sydney Olympic in Australia, scoring one goal in three games, before finally retiring, aged 39, in 2000.
Chester manager, 2004–2005
After working as a part-time striker's coach for Liverpool under Gerard Houllier in 2003, he was appointed manager of his first professional club, Chester City (by this time in Football League TwoFootball League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
), in August 2004. Chester had made a dreadful start to their first season back in the Football League and Rush had a hard time at the helm. After losing 3–1 at Boston United in their first game in charge, they strung together a two month unbeaten run and he led the club to the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
third round. Rush seemed to be answering his critics, including former Liverpool team-mate Mark Lawrenson
Mark Lawrenson
Mark Thomas Lawrenson is a former professional football player, a defender in the Liverpool and Irish football teams of the 1980s; he since became a radio, television and internet pundit for the BBC and Today FM. He was born in England, but played for the Republic of Ireland because his...
, who doubted whether his tactical and coaching abilities could match his striking history.
But after Rush ruled himself out of the running for the vacant Welsh manager's job on 1 November 2004 things never seemed to go as well. Several heavy defeats were inflicted and Rush was criticised for the physical and long-ball tactics his managerial team opted to use. Despite pressure from chairman Stephen Vaughan
Stephen Vaughan
Stephen James Vaughan is a BBBofC licensed boxing promoter and ex English football midfielder who played for Premier League club Liverpool.-Boxing Promotions :Stephen Vaughan Jr. is the youngest licensed boxing promoter in the UK...
, Rush refused to resign after a humiliating 5–0 loss to neighbours Shrewsbury Town in February 2005. But when Vaughan sacked Aizlewood in April (after a 1–0 defeat at Darlington
Darlington
Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, part of the ceremonial county of County Durham, England. It lies on the small River Skerne, a tributary of the River Tees, not far from the main river. It is the main population centre in the borough, with a population of 97,838 as of 2001...
), Rush resigned on principle. By the point of his resignation, Chester were virtually safe from relegation. His spell in charge saw youngsters such as Robbie Booth
Robbie Booth
Robbie Booth is an English footballer. He played in The Football League for Chester City and is currently playing non-League football for the club's successors, Chester.-Career:...
, Michael Walsh
Michael Walsh (footballer born 1986)
Michael Walsh is an English footballer. He played in The Football League for Chester City and now plays for Bangor City in the Welsh Premier league after returning from a 2 year spell with Marfin Laiki League side APOP Kinyras Peyias.Walsh joined Chester from Rhyl in 2004, making his first-team...
and Shaun Whalley
Shaun Whalley
Shaun James Whalley is an English footballer who currently plays as a midfielder for Football Conference club Southport. Born in Prescot, Merseyside, he played for Norwich City and Southport as a youth before making his Football League debut with Chester City in 2004.After leaving Chester, he...
all given their Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
debuts, while players including Michael Brown
Michael Brown (footballer born 1985)
Michael Brown, , is an English professional footballer who played for Preston North End and made 18 appearances in The Football League during a loan spell with Chester City. After suffering from illness for 18 months, Brown returned to football at Lancaster City before moving to Fleetwood Town. He...
, George Elokobi
George Elokobi
George Nganyuo Elokobi is a Cameroonian footballer who plays as a defender for English Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers....
and Robbie Foy
Robbie Foy
Robbie Foy is a professional football player.Foy attended Oxgangs Primary School and Firrhill High School, and played for youth club Hutchison Vale, before making the move down south and signing for Liverpool in 2000...
all spent time on loan at the club.
Rush was interviewed for the Peterborough United
Peterborough United F.C.
Peterborough United Football Club are a professional English football club based in Peterborough. Peterborough United formed in 1934 and played in the old Midland League, which they won six times; eventually being admitted to the Football League in 1960, replacing Gateshead. Their home ground is...
manager's job shortly after this but lost out to Mark Wright, who had played in the same Liverpool team as Rush from 1991 to 1996, and had preceded Rush as Chester manager.
Media career and other activities, 2005 to present
In 2005, at the age of 43, Rush considered coming out of retirement to play for TNSThe New Saints F.C.
The New Saints of Oswestry Town & Llansantffraid Football Club , also known as The New Saints or simply TNS is a full-time-professional British football club representing Llansantffraid-ym-Mechain in Powys, Wales and Oswestry in Shropshire, England . They play in the Welsh Premier League...
, after the Welsh side were drawn against Liverpool for their opening round Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
qualifying match, but later decided against this.
Since November 2005, Rush has been involved in media work within the game, including a stint as an analyst with ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
. He also appears as a pundit and reporter for Sky Sports
Sky Sports
Sky Sports is the brand name for a group of sports-oriented television channels operated by the UK and Ireland's main satellite pay-TV company, British Sky Broadcasting. Sky Sports is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland...
and Sky Sports News
Sky Sports News
Sky Sports News is a 24-hour sports news channel in the United Kingdom. It is run by BSkyB whose sports channels include Sky Sports 1, 2, 3 and 4, as well as Sky Sports HD1, HD2, HD3 and HD4....
. he has also done work on LFCTV
On 27 April 2006, Rush was involved in the Marina Dalglish charity match, which pitted the 1986 FA Cup final teams of Liverpool and Everton against each other in aid of Breast Cancer Research, as Kenny Dalglish's wife Marina had been suffering from breast cancer
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
and the proceeds from the match were being donated to the charity.
Rush was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame
English Football Hall of Fame
The English Football Hall of Fame is housed at the National Football Museum, currently being relocated to Manchester, England. The Hall aims to celebrate and highlight the achievements of the all-time top English footballing talents, as well as non-English players and managers who have become...
in 2006 due to his achievements in the game.
Rush can still be seen wearing the red of Liverpool as he regularly appears for the Masters five-a-side team and as one of Liverpool's 'old boys' on public relations tours for the club.
On 7 September 2007 it was announced that Rush had been appointed Elite Performance Director for the Welsh Football Trust, a part-time role in which he would help develop the next generation of players for Wales' national teams.
Rush released his autobiography on 21 August 2008, Rush: The Autobiography, through Ebury Press.
On 26 April 2010, it was announced that Rush had returned to work with Liverpool F.C., becoming the Club's new Soccer Schools Ambassador and it was announced he would also work with the Club's commercial team to help develop and support partnerships with other global sponsors and brands.
International career
Rush made his WelshWales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
debut before he had been handed his first start for Liverpool, playing his first match on 21 May 1980 against Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
. Rush played regularly for the Welsh national team scoring a record 28 goals in 73 games.
Unfortunately during his career the team never qualified for a major tournament, although in 1991 he scored the winning goal in a memorable Euro 92 qualifier
1992 UEFA European Football Championship qualifying
The qualifying competition for UEFA Euro 1992 was a series of parallel association football competitions to be held over 1990 and 1991 to decide the qualifiers for UEFA Euro 1992, to be held in Sweden. The draw for the qualifying rounds was held on 2 February 1990.There were a total of seven groups...
against Germany on 5 June 1991.Wales would narrowly miss out on qualifying for the finals, as happened during Rush's career for World Cups in 1982, 1986 and 1994 and Euro 88. This puts him in a group with other football legends such as George Best
George Best
George Best was a professional footballer from Northern Ireland, who played for Manchester United and the Northern Ireland national team. He was a winger whose game combined pace, acceleration, balance, two-footedness, goalscoring and the ability to beat defenders...
, Jari Litmanen
Jari Litmanen
Jari Olavi Litmanen is a Finnish footballer, currently playing for HJK. He is the current vice-captain of Finland national football team, where he served as a first choice captain between 1996–2008...
and fellow Welshman Ryan Giggs
Ryan Giggs
Ryan Joseph Giggs OBE is a Welsh professional footballer who plays for Manchester United. Giggs made his first appearance for the club during the 1990–91 season and has been a regular player since the 1991–92 season...
to have never played in a major international tournament.
Another famous international winner by Rush was in a friendly against Italy in Brescia
Brescia
Brescia is a city and comune in the region of Lombardy in northern Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, between the Mella and the Naviglio, with a population of around 197,000. It is the second largest city in Lombardy, after the capital, Milan...
in June 1988. After a largely disappointing year in Italy, Rush helped silence his critics by bagging the only goal as Wales claimed a shock 1–0 win.
Career statistics
| Club | Season | League | League | Cup | Europe UEFA The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer.... |
Other | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| 1978–79 The Football League 1978-79 -Overview:The 1978–1979 season was the 79th completed season of The Football League.-First Division:Bob Paisley won his third league title at Liverpool as his conquering side fought off competition from the likes of Nottingham Forest and West Bromwich Albion to achieve their triumph... |
Chester City Chester City F.C. Chester City Football Club was an English football team from Chester. The club was founded as Chester F.C., and joined the Football League in 1931, spending most of their time in the lower divisions. They changed their name to Chester City in 1983. Chester won their first league title in 2004, the... |
Third Division Football League Third Division The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two... |
1 | 0 | |0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1979–80 The Football League 1979-80 -Overview:The 1979–1980 season was the 80th completed season of The Football League.-First Division:Bob Paisley's Liverpool retained their league championship trophy after fighting off a determined challenge by Dave Sexton's Manchester United... |
33 | 14 | |8 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 19 | ||
| 1980–81 The Football League 1980-81 The 1980–1981 season was the 81st completed season of The Football League.-First Division:Ron Saunders completed Aston Villa's revival, as they ended their 71-year wait for the league championship trophy. They competed in a two-horse race with Ipswich Town during the final stages of the season... |
Liverpool Liverpool F.C. Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups... |
First Division Football League First Division The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship.... |
7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| 1981–82 The Football League 1981-82 The 1981–1982 season was the 82nd completed season of The Football League.- First Division:3 points for a win was introduced for the first time in England... |
32 | 17 | 13 | 11 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 49 | 30 | ||
| 1982–83 The Football League 1982-83 -Overview:The 1982–1983 season was the 83rd completed season of The Football League.- First Division:Bob Paisley’s last season as Liverpool manager ended on a high as they topped the First Division with a comfortable lead. Bob Paisley retired as Liverpool manager with a record 21 prizes in nine... |
34 | 24 | 11 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 51 | 31 | ||
| 1983–84 The Football League 1983-84 -Overview:The 1983–1984 season was the 84th completed season of The Football League.- First Division:Liverpool had a great first season under the management of Joe Fagan as they wrapped up their third successive league title and the 15th in their history. They overcame strong competition from... |
41 | 32 | 14 | 10 | 10 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 65 | 47 | ||
| 1984–85 The Football League 1984-85 -Overview:The 1984–1985 season was the 85th completed season of The Football League.-First Division:Howard Kendall’s Everton side beat neighbours Liverpool to the league championship, while Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United followed closely behind... |
28 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 44 | 26 | ||
| 1985–86 The Football League 1985-86 -Overview:The 1985–1986 season was the 86th completed season of the The Football League.-Final league tables and results :The tables below are reproduced here in the exact form that they can be found at the website, with home and away statistics separated.Re-election: During the first five seasons... |
40 | 22 | 14 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 56 | 33 | ||
| 1986–87 The Football League 1986-87 -Overview:The 1986–1987 season was the 87th completed season of the The Football League.-Innovations for this season:Playoffs to determine promotion places were introduced in 1987 so that more clubs remained eligible for promotion closer to the end of the season, and at the same time to aid in the... |
42 | 30 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 57 | 40 | ||
| 1987–88 Serie A 1987-88 The 1987/1988 Serie A season marked A.C. Milan's first Scudetto under the Silvio Berlusconi era and their first since the 1978/1979 season. S.S.C. Napoli, with a team including Diego Maradona, Ciro Ferrara and Careca were pre-season favourites. The championship went down to the last day of the... |
Juventus Juventus F.C. Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont... |
Serie A Serie A Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new... |
29 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 40 | 13 |
| 1988–89 The Football League 1988-89 The 1988–1989 season was the 89th completed season of the Football League.No European qualification took place due to the Heysel Stadium disaster suspension in place.... |
Liverpool Liverpool F.C. Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups... |
First Division Football League First Division The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship.... |
24 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 32 | 11 |
| 1989–90 The Football League 1989-90 The 1989–1990 season was the 90th completed season of The Football League.- First Division :Liverpool overhauled a greatly improved Aston Villa side to win their 18th league championship trophy and their fifth major trophy in as many seasons under Kenny Dalglish’s management. To date, this remains... |
36 | 18 | 11 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 48 | 26 | ||
| 1990–91 The Football League 1990-91 The 1990–1991 season was the 91st completed season of The Football League.-First Division:Arsenal took their second league title in three seasons despite a season during which it often looked as though the good points would be outnumbered by the bad points... |
37 | 16 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 48 | 26 | ||
| 1991–92 The Football League 1991-92 The 1991–1992 season was the 92nd completed season of The Football League.- First Division :The last-ever league championship before the creation of the Premier League was won by Leeds United who overhauled Manchester United thanks to the efforts of players like Gordon Strachan, Lee Chapman, David... |
18 | 4 | 8 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 9 | ||
| 1992–93 FA Premier League 1992-93 The 1992–93 FA Premier League was the first season of the Premier League, the top division of English football. The league was made up of the 22 clubs that broke away from The Football League at the end of the 1991–92 season. The new league was backed up by a five-year, £305 million deal with... |
Premier League | 32 | 14 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 42 | 22 | |
| 1993–94 FA Premier League 1993-94 -New league sponsors:From the start of the 1993-94 season, the FA Premier League was sponsored by Carling Breweries.-Promoted teams:Newcastle United and West Ham were promoted to the Premier League from the First Division as champions and runners-up respectively. The last promotion place was won by... |
42 | 14 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 49 | 19 | ||
| 1994–95 FA Premier League 1994-95 -Promoted teams:Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest were promoted from the Football League First Division as winners and runners-up respectively. Leicester City won the 1993-94 playoff.-Controversial incidents:... |
36 | 12 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50 | 19 | ||
| 1995–96 FA Premier League 1995-96 -Promoted teams:Due to the decision to reduce the number of clubs in the Premier League from 22 to 20, only two clubs were promoted this season: Middlesbrough as Football League First Division champions, and Bolton Wanderers who won the 1994-95 playoff.-Transfers:... |
20 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 7 | ||
| 1996–97 FA Premier League 1996-97 The 1996–97 FA Premier League season was the fifth season of the competition, since its formation in 1992. The majority of the season was contested by the reigning champions, Manchester United, along with Newcastle United, Arsenal and Liverpool... |
Leeds United Leeds United A.F.C. Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system... |
Premier League | 36 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 42 | 3 |
| 1997–98 FA Premier League 1997-98 The FA Premier League 1997-98 season saw Arsenal lift their first league title since 1991, and also become only the second team to win the 'double' of the FA Cup and league title twice... |
Newcastle United Newcastle United F.C. Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger... |
Premier League | 10 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 2 |
| 1997–98 The Football League 1997-98 The 1997–1998 season was the 98th completed season of the The Football League.-First Division:Champions Nottingham Forest and runners-up Middlesbrough won promotion back to the Premiership at the first time of asking. Charlton Athletic won the playoffs to end an eight-year absence from the top... |
Sheffield United Sheffield United F.C. Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production... |
First Division Football League First Division The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship.... |
4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 1998–99 The Football League 1998-99 The 1998–1999 season was the 99th completed season of the The Football League.-First Division:Sunderland were crowned First Division champions with 105 points, then a record, having lost just three games all season, to prove right the many pundits who tipped them for promotion... |
Wrexham | Second Division Football League Second Division From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams... |
17 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| 1999-00 National Soccer League 1999-00 -Regular season:-Elimination semifinals:*Marconi Fairfield 0-1 Carlton*Sydney Olympic 4-1 Adelaide Force-References:*... |
Sydney Olympic Sydney Olympic FC Sydney Olympic Football Club is an Australian football club that plays in the NSW Premier League. It competed in the National Soccer League from 1977 until the league's demise in 2004, having won the championship in 1989–90, 2001–02, the League Cup in 1980, the minor premiership in 2002–03 and the... |
National Soccer League National Soccer League The National Soccer League is the former national association football competition in Australasia, overseen by Soccer Australia and later the Australian Soccer Association. The NSL spanned 28 seasons from its inception in 1977, until its demise in 2004... |
3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Total for Liverpool | 469 | 229 | 139 | 87 | 38 | 20 | 14 | 10 | 660 | 346 | ||
| Career total | 602 | 254 | 169 | 99 | 42 | 21 | 16 | 10 | 828 | 384 | ||
* Cup - National Cup & League Cup
* Other - National Super Cup, Intercontinental Cup, Super Cup ScreenSport, Football League Trophy & Play-Off Games
Club honours (all with Liverpool)
Winner- First DivisionFootball League First DivisionThe First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
1982, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1990 - FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
1986, 1989, 1992 - League CupFootball League CupThe Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1995 - Charity Shield 1982, 1983, 1986, 1990, 1991
- European CupUEFA Champions LeagueThe UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
1984
Personal honours
- PFA Young Player of the YearPFA Young Player of the YearThe Professional Footballers' Association Young Player of the Year is an annual award given to the player aged 23 or under at the start of the season who is adjudged to have been the best of the season in English football...
1983 - PFA Players' Player of the YearPFA Players' Player of the YearThe Professional Footballers' Association Players' Player of the Year is an annual award given to the player who is adjudged to have been the best of the year in English football...
1984 - FWA Footballer of the Year 1984
- European Golden BootEuropean Golden BootThe European Golden Shoe, formerly known as the European Golden Boot, is an association football award presented each season to the leading goalscorer in league matches from the top division of every European national league...
1984 - First Division top goalscorerFootball League First DivisionThe First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
1984 - Liverpool FC top goalscorerLiverpool F.C.Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
: 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994
Records
- Second highest FA Cup scorer of all time, and highest in 20th century FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
with 44 goals (39 for Liverpool, 4 for Chester City, 1 for Newcastle United). Only Henry "Harry" CurshamHenry CurshamHenry "Harry" Cursham was an English footballer and cricketer. Cursham was born in Wilford, Nottinghamshire, and played for Notts County, as well as playing first-class cricket for Nottinghamshire...
of Notts County scored more – 49 goals between 1877 and 1888. - Record FA Cup FinalFA Cup FinalThe FA Cup Final, commonly referred to in England as just the Cup Final, is the last match in the Football Association Challenge Cup. With an official attendance of 89,826 at the 2007 FA Cup Final, it is the fourth best attended domestic club championship event in the world and the second most...
goalscorer with 5 goals. - Joint record League CupFootball League CupThe Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
goalscorer with 49 goals (48 for Liverpool), shared with Sir Geoff Hurst. - First player to pick up 5 League CupFootball League CupThe Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
winners medals. - Record Welsh internationalWales national football teamThe Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
goalscorer with 28 goals. - Record LiverpoolLiverpool F.C.Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
goalscorer with 346 goals. - Third top goalscorer in League football for LiverpoolLiverpool F.C.Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
with 229 goals, behind Roger HuntRoger HuntRoger Hunt, MBE is an English former footballer. He was a member of the England team which won the 1966 World Cup.-Club career:...
(245 goals) and Gordon HodgsonGordon HodgsonGordon Hodgson was a South African-born English sportsman, being best known for as a striker for Liverpool and also a first-class cricketer for Lancashire, he also excelled at baseball....
(233 goals). - Record Merseyside derbyMerseyside derbyThe Merseyside derby is the name given to any football match contested between Everton and Liverpool football clubs, the two most successful clubs from the city of Liverpool in England...
goalscorer with 25 goals for LiverpoolLiverpool F.C.Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
against EvertonEverton F.C.Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
. - Record transfer sale for Chester CityChester City F.C.Chester City Football Club was an English football team from Chester. The club was founded as Chester F.C., and joined the Football League in 1931, spending most of their time in the lower divisions. They changed their name to Chester City in 1983. Chester won their first league title in 2004, the...
(£300,000).