Ian Rush

Ian Rush
MBE
Rush in 2010
Personal information
Full name Ian James Rush[1]
Date of birth (1961-10-20) 20 October 1961 (age 63)[2]
Place of birth St Asaph, Wales
Height 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)[3]
Position(s) Forward[4]
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1978–1980 Chester City 34 (14)
1980–1986 Liverpool 182 (109)
1986–1988 Juventus 29 (8)
1986–1987 → Liverpool (loan) 42 (30)
1988–1996 Liverpool 245 (90)
1996–1997 Leeds United 36 (3)
1997–1998 Newcastle United 10 (2)
1998 → Sheffield United (loan) 4 (0)
1998–1999 Wrexham 17
1999–2000 Sydney Olympic 3 (1)
Total 602 (346)
International career
1980–1996 Wales[5] 73 (28)
Managerial career
2004–2005 Chester City
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Ian James Rush MBE (born 20 October 1961) is a Welsh former professional footballer who played as a forward. He is regarded as one of the best strikers of all time and one of the best Welsh players in the history of the sport.[6][7][8] At club level Rush played for Liverpool from 1980 to 1987 and 1988–1996. Additionally, he is the club's all-time leading goalscorer, having scored a total of 346 goals in all competitions at the club. He also holds the records for being the highest goalscorer in the history of the EFL Cup and the finals of the FA Cup. At international level, Rush made 73 appearances for the Wales national football team and remained the record goalscorer with 28 goals between 1980 and 1996, until the record was broken by Gareth Bale in 2018.

Regarded as one of Liverpool's greatest ever players,[9][10] Rush came 3rd among Liverpool players in an official Liverpool fan poll, 100 Players Who Shook The Kop.[11] He also had short spells with Chester City, Juventus, Leeds United, Newcastle United, Sheffield United, Wrexham and Sydney Olympic. Since retiring as a player in 2000, Rush has had a stint as manager of Chester City (2004–05), and has worked as a television football pundit.[12]

Rush was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 1996 New Year Honours for services to association football.[13]

  1. ^ "Ian Rush". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
  2. ^ "I. Rush: Summary". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
  3. ^ "Ian Rush: Overview". Premier League. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
  4. ^ "Ian Rush". 11v11.com. AFS Enterprises. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
  5. ^ Alpuin, Luis Fernando Passo (20 February 2009). "Wales – Record International Players". RSSSF. Retrieved 5 August 2012.
  6. ^ "The 30 greatest strikers of all time – ranked". 90min. 25 May 2021. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  7. ^ "Ranking the Top 60 Strikers of All Time". Bleacher Report. 14 February 2014. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  8. ^ "Ranked! The 10 best Welsh players ever". FourFourTwo. 5 October 2022. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  9. ^ "Best Liverpool players ever, the top 50". The Daily Telegraph. London. 23 March 2015. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  10. ^ "Ranked! The 50 best Liverpool players ever". FourFourTwo. 29 April 2022. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  11. ^ "100PWSTK: 3. Ian Rush" Archived 1 February 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Liverpoolfc.com; retrieved 5 January 2013.
  12. ^ Jones, Mark (11 November 2016). "Liverpool legend gives the Reds even more motivation to win the Premier League". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
  13. ^ United Kingdom list: "No. 54255". The London Gazette (1st supplement). 30 December 1995. p. 23.