Speaker Profile

Born in 1961 in St Asaph, the Welsh striker made his name at club level with Liverpool FC (1980 - 1987 & 1988 - 1996) becoming their leading goalscorer - a record breaking 346 goals in total! Regarded as one of the greatest ever Liverpool players, Rush came 3rd in the '100 Players Who Shook The Kop' – an official Liverpool fan poll.

However, it was when he played for Wales, his national team, that he earned the adulation of a nation, scoring a record breaking 28 times between 1980 and 1996. First capped against Scotland in 1980, with a 1-0 defeat in Glasgow, Rush quickly became star of the side, although Wales never qualified for a major tournament to provide the prolific forward with the international stage of his talents deserved.

He also had short spells with Chester City, Juventus, Leeds United, Newcastle United, Sheffield United, Wrexham and Sydney Olympic. Throughout his glistening career Ian Rush found the back of the net with unerring regularity for both club and country. He was one of the British game’s naturally talented and feared goalscorers.

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. He is also acclaimed for his moustache.