• Home
• /
• Football

His Heart Beats for the Reds

“I still get excited when I wear the Liverpool jersey. It’s always a great feeling, you know,” said the legendary Ian Rush (right). The 48-year-old Welshman is in Dubai to play for his beloved team – the Liverpool Football Club – in the legends event of the inaugural Dubai Football Sevens.

The legends event of the Sevens will begin on Friday. And some of the giants of the game have come with some legendary names. Teams like Manchester United, Arsenal, AC Milan have brought iconic players for the Sevens event.

Rush, Liverpool’s all-time leading goal-scorer, says his team will not be playing for fun. When you are out there, you are representing Liverpool Football Club. It’s a competition that we want to win. Once you wear the red shirt, you represent Liverpool. So we will try our best,” said Rush, whose predatory instincts brought six league titles and one European title to Anfield in 1980s.

Rush believes Milan will be Liverpool’s biggest threat. “Milan have brought a great team. In Italy, they love to keep themselves fit. So it doesn’t surprise me. They are definitely the team to beat. I am impressed by the quality of players they have here. They are probably the favourites to win it, but we believe that we can get results as well. In fact, I am very excited. I played against (Franco) Baresi before.

I didn’t score then, so I am looking to get one against him now (laughs).

“Yeah he was one of the most difficult defenders I played against. He is a fantastic player. He was not one of them with great pace, but his ability to read the game, I think, was fantastic. You know when people ask me about the best defenders I played against, I always say that Paul McGrath of Manchester United and Franco Baresi were top quality players.”

Baresi is not the only legendary name in the Milan squad. They will also have the peerless Paolo Maldini and Paolo Di Cannio, the temperamental genius who also became an icon for West Ham United in England.

‘Capable of anything’

Rush is aware of the threat Milan poses in Dubai, but he is also concerned about Liverpool’s chances in the battle for the fourth place in the English Premier League.

“It’s not in Liverpool’s hand any more. It’s going to be harder. Tottenham, Manchester City, well, they can still lose points, but it’s not a time to criticize (our team). I think it’s a time to get behind them. That’s what we need to do. I think it’s a confidence factor. They need to be bit more adventurous. “It’s down to the players, you know. You can prepare as much as you can, but the only thing that matters is your performance on the field. The players need to perform,” said Rush.

However, the legendary striker believes there is still hope for the Reds.

“Liverpool is still capable of winning every game. There are still many matches to be played before the end of the season. That’s what we need to do. We should get behind the team. You know, supporters will always be behind them. Liverpool Football Club is capable of anything…”

You can expect to see the same never-say-die spirit from Ian Rush when his Liverpool team faces the other giants of the game in the legends event of the Dubai Football Sevens.