Ian Rush stands alongside former teammate Kenny Dalglish and recently departed Steven Gerrard as one of the most celebrated footballers in Liverpool history.
Over an historic 21-year career Rush accumulated records and remarkable goals (346 of them for the Reds), along with an overflowing trophy case (five English championships, three FA Cups and two European Cups, among others).
His statistics have been dissected by students of the game for years, but is Liverpool’s all-time leading goal scorer as obsessive over his past as his fans are?
We found out over an intriguing game of ‘How well does Ian Rush know Ian Rush?’ Here’s how it went:
In 1980 Liverpool paid a then-record fee for a teenager when they purchased your contract from Chester City. How much did they pay?
Rush: I know that one; that would be £300,000. (Correct). That was a long time ago!
How many games did it take before you scored your first senior goal at Liverpool?
It was seven or nine, I think.
It was 9 games.
Yes, it was seven for Wales, actually before I scored.
How many goals in your first full season at Liverpool (1981-’82) in all 49 appearances?
(After much deliberating) Thirty. (Correct).
After scoring two goals against Everton in the 1989 FA Cup final, who did you overtake as the most prolific “Merseyside Derby” goalscorer?
Dixie Dean (Correct).
What is your total tally of goals in the Merseyside Derby?
Either 24 or 28.
It was 25 actually.
Total number of Liverpool FA Cup goals?
I’m just guessing, 44?
It’s actually 39.
No, that’s wrong! I scored five for Chester City. (Rush actually scored three FA Cup goals for Chester City, along with one for Newcastle United during the 1997-1998 season, for a career total of 48 FA Cup goals … but the question was specific to Liverpool.)
Total number of Liverpool League Cup goals?
(Again, ignoring the “Liverpool” prefix to the question) Forty nine.
It’s 48.
It’s 49! I scored one for Newcastle as well (laughs).
What was your transfer fee to Juventus in 1986?
£3.2 million. (Correct, £3.2 million. Rush was then loaned back to Liverpool for one season before playing in Turin).
How much did Liverpool buy you back for in 1988?
£2.8m.
Close, £2.7 million (a then-record in England).
You had a short stint as manager at your old club of Chester City in 2004-2005. Who did you succeed as manager?
Oh I know, it was Ray Mathias. (Correct, Mathias was caretaker manager before Rush took over).
Who succeeded you?
Dave Bell. (Correct, Dave Bell was installed as caretaker after Rush left).
What was your goal difference that season?
I haven’t a clue. Was it in the minus? We were bottom of the league when I got there. The chairman said we had to get into the playoffs and win 14 straight. That’s why I left in the end. I would say minus …. (thinking) … we got battered a few times … minus 14.
It was -26.
I would never have gotten that by the way.
You’ve got 28 goals as the record scorer for Wales. Whose record did you eclipse?
Ivor Allchurch. (Correct — Allchurch and Trevor Ford shared the record of 23 goals for Wales before Rush broke it).
As an aside, Gareth Bale has 17.
I know that, yeah. He’s played 500 games more! (Laughs) I don’t mind him breaking it though. (Bale has made 50 appearances for Wales, while Rush had 73 caps).
Which team did you net a hat trick against while playing for Wales in October 1992, a World Cup qualifier?
The only time I got one (for Wales), was against the Faroe Islands. I missed a penalty in that as well! (Correct).
Your last touch as a Liverpool player was….? (Rush’s last touch has been documented as the deflection onto Eric Cantona, who then scored for Manchester United to defeat Liverpool in the 1996 FA Cup final.)
They are saying it was, but that is wrong. It touched me on the way, but that wasn’t my last touch. That was the last game, but there was still 20 minutes to go!
Can you name all the teams you played for?
Chester, then went to Liverpool, Juventus, then went back to Liverpool, then Leeds, Newcastle, went on load to Sheffield United, then I went to Wrexham and Sydney Olympic. (Correct).
Total career goals?
Let’s see, there were 346 at Liverpool … (does a lot of number crunching) … I’ve got 372.
It’s actually 383.
I’ll take the higher number!
Final goal as a professional came against?
I always thought it was Marconi, but it wasn’t Marconi, it was Adelaide. Because someone gave me the program when I went back there preseason. (Rush’s final goal was against Marconi but his final match as a professional came against Adelaide City).
What is Ian Rush’s favorite biscuit?
(Blank look). Do you have an answer?
Yes, you have said it was McVities Digestive (Rush reportedly yearned for his favorite snack while playing in Italy).
Oh yeah! Chocolate as well.
We know you didn’t actually say this famous quote attributed to you … but can you complete this sentence? “Living in Italy is like …”
“Playing in a foreign country.” It was Kenny (Dalglish) who came up with that. And it’s so much easier to say I did say that than explain that I didn’t!
Overall, the 53-year-old former striker proved to be knowledgeable about his own career, but not in a bombastic sort of way (amazingly, he didn’t know his all-time goal tally) — proving, once again, to be a winner.
Ian Rush was speaking on behalf of Carlsberg, official sponsor of the Premier League. Carlsberg has launched its new TV commercial, ‘Kickabouts’. Watch it here.