Ian Rush
Regarded as one of the finest players to have graced the football pitch in a Liverpool shirt, Ian Rush is a well-known figure not only in Welsh football but in English football by extension. Having scored 346 goals in 660 games for the reds, no other legend at the club comes close. For the Welsh national team, Rush scored 28 goals and was capped 73 times.
His Football Career
After his £300,000-transfer from Chester in 1980, Rush did not quickly adjust to life under Bob Paisley. When Liverpool came knocking for his signature, Rush grabbed the opportunity to move to Merseyside so he could enjoy regular football. And yes, he did just that, having made his debut for the club on December 13, 1980. The goals did not come immediately as he had to wait for nine games. And when they finally started coming, they did not stop until the man retired.
In 1983/84 season alone, Rush found the back of the net 50 times, which saw him win the European Golden Boot, becomin
g the first Brit to do so. During that season, Liverpool also won the League Title, the League Cup, and the European Cup, courtesy of Ian’s exploits in front of goal.
Rush continued shining for his club, helping them to the 1986 FA Cup triumph over Everton. He netted twice in this final, something he would replicate in 1989.
His most memorable goal for Wales was perhaps the winner he scored against Germany in 1991, the reigning world champions then. While he netted the second-half winner, Neville Southall was performing heroics between the sticks just to ensure the Germans did not pull an equalizer. In a nutshell, this is how Ian Rush’s trophy cabinet looks like:
- Five First Division Championships
- Two European Cups
- Five League Cups
- Three FA Cups
- PFA Players’ Player of the Year
- PFA Young Player of the Year
- One Europe’s Golden Boot
