Liverpool legend Ian Rush reveals he thought he was going to die after collapsing at home

At the time of his illness, Rush faced difficulty in breathing and had to be admitted to intensive care where he stayed for nearly two days. Later, a Liverpool spokesperson said that "everyone at Liverpool wishes him a speedy recovery" and that the club were thankful to the hospital and its staff for "providing the best care possible for our legend and ambassador of the club".

Now fully recovered, Rush is back home, where he narrated his nightmare experience to BBC Sport. The 64-year-old said: "I did think the worst and thought this could be it. I couldn't breathe. It was very difficult and I'm fortunate the NHS helped me; there were a couple of times where I thought I may not be here [for much longer]. But I'm feeling stronger and much better now.

"It was a terrifying experience. I thought it was the end because I couldn't breathe and I went into a panic attack. Carol was brilliant. She helped me with my breathing which gave me more time as we waited for the ambulance to come."

Rush further added: "It's given me a big kick. In 2026, there are going to be a few changes because there are a few things that I need to make sure that if anything does happen to me then everything is in place for everyone else. The doctors told me the sun will do you a world of good and I'm allowed to fly so I'm here. Liverpool Football Club have been very good. They've told me to take as much time off as I need. That's when you know it's a big family club."

On Sunday, Rush spent some quality time with Brazil icon Ronaldo and Italy stars Roberto Baggio and Alessandro Del Piero. Sharing his experience, the Reds legend said: "It's little things like seeing Baggio, who lived in the same house that I was in when I was at Juventus, and that goes a long way. And it gives me the energy to keep going. Some of these legends have won World Cups and I know I haven't, but what I can do is look back and say that I was good and that I am Liverpool's record goalscorer. That makes me feel proud."

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Rush won five First Division titles, two European Cups, three FA Cups and five League Cups with Liverpool across two spells for the club. During his time with the Reds, he was the club’s top scorer in eight separate seasons and picked up the PFA Young Player of the Year and Players’ Player of the Year award in 1983 and 1984, respectively. 

The iconic forward also made 73 appearances for his country, scoring 28 goals, second only to Gareth Bale in the nation’s all-time top scorers list. The legendary forward also played for Chester, Juventus, Leeds, Newcastle, Sheffield United and Wrexham, before seeing out his career in Australia with Sydney Olympic.

Following his retirement, Rush worked as a part-time striker’s coach at Liverpool under Gerard Houlier, before taking up the managerial position at Chester. It marked his first and only foray into management and he managed to help the side stave off relegation from the fourth division of English football. Rush had hinted he wanted to take the job in charge of the Welsh national team, but was never offered the position. He never returned to management after his short spell at Chester, which fizzled out after a string of poor performances.

Arne Slot's Liverpool ended 2025 on a bright note as they eclipsed Chelsea to climb back to the top four in the Premier League table with a win over Wolves in their final game of the calendar year. They will now hope to kick off the New Year in style and aim to further go up on the table as they face Leeds United on January 1 at Anfield.