| Standing supreme as Liverpool's all-time scoring king the lean Welshman was one of the deadliest strikers in football history, blending superb anticipation with lethal finishing. His attack partnership with Kenny Dalglish is widely rated the best ever in British football.
Rush became Britain's most expensive teenager when Bob Paisley paid £300,000 to sign him from Chester in 1980. During his two-part Anfield career, split by a season with Juventus in 1987-88 when he left and returned for a combined £6 million, Rush scored 346 goals in 660 senior outings, although in the League only he was 16 goals short of Roger Hunt's club record 245.
It was about the only one to elude him. Rush's haul of 44 FA Cup goals (39 of them for Liverpool) is a 20th century record while his five-goal total in FA Cup Finals (two in 1986 and 1989 and one in 1992 all on winning Liverpool sides) is an all-time best by an individual. Rush shares with Geoff Hurst the League Cup scoring record of 49 and was the first player to win that competition five times, completing his nap hand as Liverpool captain against Bolton in 1995. He scored 10 times in 18 Wembley outings for the club.
He also collected five Championship medals, one European Cup and was awarded the MBE. Rush scored an all-time Mersey derby record of 25 goals against Everton, won Europe's Golden Boot with 32 League goals in 1984 when he was also double Footballer of the Year and captained Wales, for whom he scored a record 28 goals in 73 games. He joined Leeds in 1996 and later played for Newcastle, Wrexham and Sydney Olympic. |
Wales