Ian Rush's Liverpool career spanned two of the club's finest generations. He graduated from Chester City, where he had scored 14 goals in 34 league games, in 1980 and, despite the £300,000 fee, spent his first couple of seasons adapting before becoming the focal point of the side that won three consecutive Championships.

His partnership with Kenny Daglish must rank as one of the all-time great double acts. Daglish's ability to drop off and play the killer pass perfectly complemented Rush's searing pace and deadly finishing, and it should be fitting that the two should be in tandem when Daglish, in his first year as player-manager, helped Liverpool to their first title and FA Cup Double in 1986.

After crashing in 30 goals as Liverpool finished runners-up the next year, Rush decided to try his luck abroad, earning the club a record £2.75 million. His Anfield record stood at 139 goals in224 League games, a phenomenal teastament to his contribution to the club's greatest era.

Yet, it was not over. After one year with Juventus, Rush came home. He was not an automatic choice as John Aldridge had done a superb job on his absence, and scored seven goals from 16 starts in Division One. But the triumphant return was sealed when he scored twice in the 3-2 win over Everton to lift the 1989 FA Cup.

The next season he thrashed in 18 goals in 36 games as Liverpool regained the CHampionship and Aldridge moved on. Another runners-up place followed (16 goals in 37 games) , but times were changing at Anfield under Graeme Souness. Further FA Cup success in 1992, Rush scoring after an injury-damaged season, could not hide the fact that the Liverpool dynasty was in danger of collapsing.

With Roy Evans in charge, Rush tucked in another 12 League goals in 36 goals as the side finished fourth and won the Coca-Cola Cup in 1994-95, but the grand old man of the Liverpool side could no longer be certain of his place and left for Leeds in the summer of 1996.

Yet, though the move proved less than happy, Rush was assured legendary status as Wales' record marksman, with 28 goals in 73 appearances and an all-time record of 42 FA Cup goals