Ian Rush has reflected on feeling like he was going to be a ‘goner’ after he was struck down by a terrifying super-flu that saw him end up in intensive care last December – and revealed the special gesture Liverpool made for their club legend as he recovered.
The peerless striker spent six days at the Countess of Chester after being struck down with what he described to Telegraph Sport as ‘the worst hat-trick’ of his decorated career.
Rush suffered from a combination of Covid, super-flu, and a severe asthma attack that left him feeling ‘like he was drowning’.
‘I was in a state of panic and Carol (his partner), who is a trained lifeguard, kept me breathing, and then the NHS people were brilliant,’ he explained.
‘I was telling myself: “No, I’m not ready to go, I need to keep fighting. This can’t be the end.”
‘When I was recovering the doctors asked me how long I have been suffering from asthma. I told them I didn’t know I did.’
Ian Rush has opened up on the terrifying experience of suffering from Covid, super-flu, and asthma last December
The Liverpool legend received the support of his partner Carol, which was crucial to his recovery this year
His panicked brush with mortality, Rush elaborated, in turn impacted his health long-term, with the 64-year-old admitting that he had ‘put off’ various lifestyle changes which prioritised his health.
But more poignant was Rush’s description of the help offered by the institution his career was most closely aligned with.
‘Liverpool got in touch while I was ill and said they wanted to do what they could to help,’ Rush continued, adding that the club had organised him to take a four-week break in Dubai to aid his recovery.
‘You don’t realise how dangerous cold weather is until you get older. I appreciated everyone’s concern. I’m a lot more comfortable now.
‘Obviously Jocky (Alan Hansen) had his own experience with serious illness a few years ago, and he will have realised how highly he is thought of.
‘I think all of us think about that kind of thing a lot more when friends or loved ones pass away or are seriously ill. When you are young you think you are invincible, don’t you?
‘When people say to me I deserve (praise for my achievements), my attitude now is going to be: “You know what, yes I do, and I’m so happy I have it.”‘
The 64-year-old is one of Anfield’s all-time greats and the club offered him extensive support
Rush, who scored 346 goals across all competitions in his two spells at Liverpool, eventually responded well to treatment and was back home in time for Christmas.
The Welshman has often attributed his strong recovery to the support of Carol, whom he has been in a long-term relationship with since the breakdown of his marriage with Tracey Rush in 2012.
Rush was a key component of Liverpool’s dominance in the 1980s. He spent two trophy-laden spells at the club, sandwiching a move to Italian giants Juventus.
With 73 caps, he was Wales’ leading scorer with 28 goals until his record was broken by Gareth Bale in 2018.
