Ian Rush remains one of Britain’s greatest strikers of all time. The former Wales international, who was described by the Yorkshire Evening Post as a “prolific striker” for Leeds United, is most famous for his two spells with Liverpool, where he scored 346 goals in 640 appearances, a club record which still stands to this day.
According to The Daily Mail, as relayed by The Scottish Sun, Rush came so close to signing Glasgow Rangers before he moved to Anfield instead. Picture this for a second – Rangers legend Ally McCoist and Rush up front. Just imagine what the pair might have been able to achieve at home and abroad. It almost doesn’t bear thinking about.
One of the greatest ever strikers to play for Liverpool, he began his career as a professional footballer at Chester City, even scoring for the Seals in a shock 2-0 win over Newcastle United in the FA Cup. He eventually left Chester for Liverpool for a then-record fee for a teenager at the time and went on to form a deadly partnership with Kenny Dalglish.
Rush spent seven years in his first stint at Merseyside, before he eventually moved to Juventus in 1986, breaking the British transfer record in the process. He was still with the Italian giants in 1988 when then-Gers manager Graeme Souness came calling, with The Scottish Sun’s Scott MacArthur revealing that his former teammate Dalglish brought him back to Anfield just days after the phone call with Souness.
He told The Daily Mail, via The Scottish Sun: “If Kenny hadn’t called a few days later, I would have been at Rangers with Souey. In the end, I went to Liverpool because I knew I was going back home.
“I’d gone to Italy and realised the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. I knew the club at Liverpool and knew exactly what to expect there.”
All signs seemed to be pointing in the right direction before Dalglish swooped in for the kill. Had it not been for the former Celtic striker , Rush may very well have become a club legend at the Ibrox outfit. Without wanting to rub salt in the wound, he would end up winning another league title, FA Cup and League cup during his second spell with Liverpool. Who knows what he might have achieved with Rangers, but he almost certainly would have scored goals galore.
It just wasn’t meant to be, was it? The Welshman had the chance to don the light blue. Instead, he will forever be known for his time with the Reds. One thing’s for sure, it’s one of those transfers that you can only wish had happened.
AND in other news, Glasgow Rangers striker Kemar Roofe steals the show against Standard Liege…