The Liverpool legend was part of the last Wales team to beat England – now Craig Bellamy’s side are looking for a first win over the Three Lions in over 40 years
Rush and Anthony’s relationship started after he split from his wife of 25 years(Image: Karwai Tang/WireImage via Getty Images)
All eyes will be on Wembley Stadium on Thursday night as Wales take on England in what is billed as an international friendly, but should prove to be anything but.
This will be the 103rd contest between the two old enemies, with the Three Lions holding the upper hand over Craig Bellamy’s side in the head-to-head record, having won on 67 different occasions. In addition to 21 draws between the two sides, tonight’s visitors Wales have just 14 wins to their name.
In fact, the last time Wales beat England was way back in 1984, when a team boasting some of the finest Welsh footballing talent of all time triumphed 1-0 at the Racecourse Ground in Wrexham. It was Mark Hughes who sealed victory with a header, but that day he shared the pitch with the likes of Neville Southall, Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones and, perhaps the greatest of them all, Ian Rush.
The Liverpool legend boasts one of the most remarkable footballing CVs the game has ever seen, having won an incredible 18 trophies across his two stints at Anfield, including five First Division titles, five League Cups, three FA Cups, and two of the club’s six European Cups.
Playing in one of the greatest sides in English football history, Rush stood out as he wrote his name in the history books, where he remains as the club’s record goalscorer with a seemingly insurmountable tally of 346 goals. Also representing the likes of Juventus, Leeds, Newcastle United and Wrexham over the course of his career, he won a host of individual accolades from PFA awards to European and First Division Golden Boots.
While he still lives with the regret of never leading Wales to a major tournament, he remains one of the finest Welsh players of all time, having won 73 caps and scored 28 goals, with his total only beaten by a certain Gareth Bale.
Rush is still heavily involved in football(Image: LFC Foundation/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Despite retiring in 2000, Rush – who is now 63 – still leaves and breathes football, with the sport continuing to be at the centre of all he does. As well as serving as chief club ambassador for Liverpool, recent years have seen him work on the advisory board for the Football Assocation of Wales and become the Elite Performance Director for the Welsh Football Trust, helping to identify the next generation of Welsh stars.
Away from the sport, however, Rush has still lots to keep him occupied. Speaking to WalesOnline in 2022, he said he “couldn’t be happier” in his new life, with his two sons Jonathan and Daniel excelling, while he had just moved in to a new house he had built with his long-time partner Carol Anthony.
Since then, they have been busy planning their future, with the Liverpool legend and Irish singer and model revealing in an interview with the Irish Independent last year that they were eyeing a summer wedding in the south of France. However, they have not yet confirmed whether they have indeed tied the knot.
The couple began dating after Rush split up with his wife of 25 years, Tracy, in 2012, and immediately found their relationship under the microscope, with Anthony accused of breaking up the footballer’s marriage while also facing backlash over the age gap between the two.
There is a 16-year age gap between Rush and his partner(Image: Andreas Rentz/Getty Images for Laureus)
But after many outlets reported there to be 22 years difference between Rush and his new girlfriend, a frustrated Anthony decided to take a stand on behalf of her and the Welsh legend, revealing the truth about their relationship in light of the less than favourable coverage.
“It was in a couple of the the papers in the UK, all about the age gap and didn’t come up to speed about what I’ve been doing the past few years,” the now-46-year-old told the Irish Independent. “They took another six years out of my life. There’s 16 years between us, not 22. There’s 13 years between my own parents.
“The slant they put on it was wrong, like I was marrying him for money or something. I just felt it was time I spoke up for myself,” she added. “Ian himself said, it’s great to support a footballer in the height of their career but when you finish your career, it’s a downward spiral and a whole different ballgame.
“I’ve been so supportive of Ian over the last year years and help him work on getting contracts so it feels a bit like a slap in the face when you read these articles. It was a little bit hurtful.
“Women are strong and we’ll always try to take things on the chin but when I saw Ian getting annoyed about it I said, ‘No I’m going to take a stance on this.”
On dealing with the backlash she faced in the early days of her relationship with Rush, Anthony added: “It was difficult navigating it initially because I didn’t realise the level of scrutiny, and I wasn’t ready for it, and that makes everyone anxious and nervous.
“It wasn’t good for a relationship. I navigated my way out of that and we have an incredible relationship, absolutely wonderful. We love each other to bits. We’re together 12 years now.
“But I used to walk behind Ian at every function because I would never want to be photographed with him,” she added. “I went into a phase where I wanted to be unknown. Then I realised I shouldn’t be hiding.”
