Ian Rush

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Ian Rush was born on 20 October 1961 in St Asaph, Denbighshire. His reputation exploded when he scored for Chester in a 2–0 FA Cup third round win away to Newcastle United in January 1980. Despite being a boyhood Everton fan and drawing interest from Manchester United, Liverpool paid a record fee for a teenager of £300,000 to sign him in April 1980. His Liverpool debut came on 13 December 1980 at Portman Road against Ipswich Town, standing in for the legendary Kenny Dalglish. His first goal for the club arrived on 30 September 1981 in a European Cup tie against Oulun Palloseura, and his first two league goals followed on 10 October 1981 in a 3–0 home win over Leeds United. On 6 November 1982, Rush etched his name into Merseyside derby history by scoring four goals against Everton in a 5–0 victory at Goodison Park—a post-war record for a single player in that fierce rivalry. He was voted PFA Young Player of the Year in 1983, then PFA Player of the Year, BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year, and received the European Golden Boot in 1984. That 1983–84 season, he netted a staggering 47 goals in 65 games. He also coolly slotted Liverpool's fourth penalty in the 1984 European Cup final shootout against AS Roma. In the 1985–86 season, he scored twice in the FA Cup final against Everton, helping Liverpool secure the first League and FA Cup double in the club's history. He accepted an offer to sign for Juventus on 2 July 1986 for a British record fee of £3.2 million, but stayed at Liverpool on loan for one season before heading to Turin. His time at Juventus was a struggle, yielding only eight goals.

In Their Own Story

In the 1985–86 FA Cup semi-final at White Hart Lane, Rush scored twice as Liverpool beat Southampton 2–0, booking a place at Wembley to face Everton in the first all-Merseyside FA Cup final. Liverpool had pipped their city rivals to the League title by beating Chelsea 1–0 at Stamford Bridge. In the final, Everton struck first when Gary Lineker outpaced Alan Hansen to shoot past Grobbelaar. But Liverpool roared back in the second half: in the 57th minute, Rush latched onto a pass from Jan Mølby, rounded Everton goalkeeper Bobby Mimms, and slotted into an empty net. Six minutes later, Mølby drove a cross for Craig Johnston to score. Then, in the 84th minute, Ronnie Whelan lofted a pass over three Everton defenders into the path of Rush, who, from a tight angle at the six-yard box, fired past Mimms to seal a 3–1 victory. Liverpool held on to complete a historic double.

Reader's Guide

At Liverpool, Rush won five English league championships, three FA Cups, five League Cups and two European Cups. He was also the PFA Players' Player of the Year, the FWA Footballer of the Year and received the European Golden Boot in 1984. Rush also had short spells with Chester, 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. In 2006 he came 3rd among Liverpool players in an official Liverpool fan poll, 100 Players Who Shook The Kop. Ranked the club's 3rd greatest player in another official poll in 2026, his defensive work from the front was also singled out, with the club stating 'he was a relentless pressing machine all rolled into one iconic forward.'

Did You Know?

• Rush scored four goals against Everton in a 5–0 victory at Goodison Park on 6 November 1982, a post-war record for goals by a single player in a Merseyside derby.
• He scored 47 goals in 65 games in the 1983–84 season, making him the highest goalscorer in all competitions for any professional club that season.
• Rush scored Liverpool's fourth penalty in the 1984 European Cup final shootout against AS Roma, despite not being a regular penalty taker.
• He accepted an offer to sign for Juventus on 2 July 1986 for a British record transfer fee of £3.2 million.
• Rush remained Wales' record goalscorer with 28 goals until 2018.