NewsLiverpool's Greatest - No.3: Ian Rush
Years: 1980-1987, 1988-1996
Appearances: 660
Goals: 346
Trophies: League Cup (1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1995), European Cup (1981, 1984), First Division (1981-82, 1982-83, 1983-84, 1985-86, 1989-90), FA Cup (1986, 1989, 1992)
Ian Rush is the greatest goalscorer in Liverpool’s rich history and no further introduction is necessary.
The Welshman netted 346 – three hundred and forty-six! – times across 15 seasons to sit atop the club’s all-time scorers list. It is likely he will never be dethroned from that position.
You do not score even half of that number of goals without being the complete striker, and Rush had many strings to his bow leading the Reds’ attack.
He was a fox in the box, a magic-maker and a relentless pressing machine all rolled into one iconic forward.
And his hugely effective partnership with the equally gifted Kenny Dalglish behind him bears comparisons with any duo to have combined in LFC history.
“Wow, what an attacker,” said one of his teammates in the era, Sammy Lee. “Not only an attacker but he was our first line of defence. Absolutely superb.
“All I’d have to do as a midfielder was play the ball into space. He would run on beyond defenders and normally slot it in and score.”
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Watch on YouTubeA large mural in his honour is now featured on a house within a stone’s throw of Anfield.
Five managers – Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan, Dalglish, Graeme Souness and Roy Evans – were able to count on double-digit scoring seasons as the bare minimum.
With Rush’s output came trophies, and lots of them: five league titles, two European Cups, three FA Cups and five League Cups.
Few could have expected such legendary feats after the 1980 arrival from Chester failed to find the back of the net during his debut season at Anfield. Patience was a virtue, though, and goal tallies of 30, 31 and a club-record 47 followed to show what he was all about.
Supporters sing about some of his finishes to this day – and not surprisingly considering a fair few were put past the club’s oldest rivals.
Four of his total of 25 against Everton came in the famous 5-0 rout at Goodison Park in November 1982 – an occasion that is referenced at the end of the Poor Scouser Tommy chant.
Another two came in the 1986 FA Cup final to break the Blues’ hearts at Wembley.
Another two came in the 1989 FA Cup final against the same opponents.
In between those braces, Kopites had their hearts broken when he decided to say ciao and join Juventus in 1987. The pain would not last long, though.
Rush was unable to settle in Italy and returned to his spiritual home a year later for the beginning of a legacy-enhancing second spell.
It was in 1992 he bettered Roger Hunt’s goals haul of 285 for the Reds, and the new leader in that statistic did not stop there.
Rush, who wore the captain’s armband for his last three seasons, was on the scoresheet for Liverpool for the final time in May 1996.
His accomplishments in front of goal will be almost impossible to surpass.
“Whether I scored from one yard out or 20, I got the same satisfaction because you see the smiles on people’s faces and the pleasure you give to the fans on the Kop,” Rush later said.
“They all meant as much to me.
“It’s only when you finish playing that you begin to realise how well you’d done.
“When you were playing, you couldn’t afford to do that. You had to concentrate on what your job was and mine was to score goals.”