Rush pays surprise visit to Chinese school
Liverpool legend Ian Rush today surprised a class of secondary school students in China when he turned up to coach them during their afternoon sports session.
The club's record goalscorer flew into Guangxi Province on Thursday morning in preparation for a major Liverpool Football Club announcement in China on Friday, and wasted no time in getting his boots back on.
Photos of his surprise appearance at the No.18 Secondary School in Guilin City were immediately posted on Chinese social media sites and local TV crews were soon on the scene to capture the moment the one-time European Golden Boot winner turned PE teacher for the afternoon.
As he was introduced to the students, one boy shouted out 'You'll Never Walk Alone', much to the amusement of the former Liverpool striker, who proceeded to take the youngsters through a number of different skills sessions before taking part in a series of six-a-side matches on the school playing fields.
For the boys who were lucky enough to take part, it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that has made them the envy of their school friends. "Ian Rush is very famous in China because he was the star of the great Liverpool teams of the '80s and '90s," said Luzhao Min.
"We couldn't believe it when we were told he would be coaching us because you don't expect a famous footballer who has played in the English Premier League to turn up at your school. I can't wait to tell my family what I did in school today!"
For Rush, it appears the experience was equally rewarding. "I only landed in China a couple of hours ago but it was great to come here and try and pass on some tips to the boys," he told Liverpoolfc.com.
"This wasn't about trying to find the next superstar, it was just a bit of fun for the lads. They all seemed to really enjoy it and they were really enthusiastic.
"I'm not sure how much they understood of what I was telling them but they were all smiles - which was great to see.
"It's a privilege for me to play a small part in trying to increase the Liverpool fan base around the world - and particularly in China - and hopefully we've done that today. If some of these boys weren't Liverpool fans before today, they'll certainly go home tonight as Liverpool supporters."
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