Liverpool and Wales legend Ian Rush was rushed to hospital after collapsing at his home in Chester
Stephen Killen Senior Sports Content Creator
20:35, 27 Dec 2025
Ian Rush
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Ian Rush has been discussing his recent bout with illness that hospitalised him.(Image: Getty Images)
Liverpool icon Ian Rush has opened up about a harrowing experience that left him fearing for his life. The Reds' all-time leading goalscorer fell ill at his Chester home after catching a severe flu.
Rush, who serves as an ambassador for Liverpool FC, was rushed to the Countess of Chester Hospital due to breathing problems. he was in intensive care after collapsing twice at his home in Cheshire, before he was discharged following a week in hospital.
Speaking to the Mirror, the 64-year-old said: "It was frightening, and I honestly thought I wasn't going to survive. I got up around 2am because I was struggling to breathe and went downstairs to make myself a cup of tea.
Ian Rush
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Ian Rush was discharged after recovering from flu(Image: Robbie Jay Barratt/Getty Images)
"Because I hadn't been feeling too great anyway I had booked an appointment to see my doctor at 9am. It got to around 4am and I was feeling worse.
"Carol (Rush's fiancée) called the ambulance because I was now really fighting hard to breathe. They came within 10 minutes and stayed with me for an hour-and-a-half and they were brilliant.
"They asked if I wanted to go to the hospital, but I had come round and was feeling a lot better so decided to remain at home. But within 10 minutes of them leaving I collapsed and so we had to phone again for an ambulance.
"This time the ambulance took a lot longer to arrive. I was on the floor gasping for breath. I honestly thought this was it, I was a goner.
"I was panicking, but while we were waiting for another ambulance Carol got me through it all by telling me how to try and calm down and breathe more easily. She was fantastic. When the ambulance people came I was on the floor completely white and looking as if I needed to be resuscitated.
Ian Rush with Mohamed Salah
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Ian Rush presented Mohamed Salah with two awards after Liverpool's Premier League triumph last season(Image: Getty Images)
"I needed oxygen to help me get through a terrifying experience. Eventually they got me into the ambulance to take me to the Countess of Chester hospital just a few miles away with the blue light activated.
"I was in A&E for 48 hours and in a general ward for three days after that before being allowed home. Carol stayed by my bedside every night without fail."
After his release from the Cheshire hospital, Rush took to social media to express his gratitude for the outpouring of support he received during his recovery at home.
Liverpool FC also rallied around their former player, a gesture that didn't go unnoticed by the ex-Wales international.
He said: "Liverpool Football Club were fantastic and provided the support and love which made everything so much better. They are a family club after all, and that's what counts in times like this. LFC went above and beyond."
Rush confessed: "It certainly made me think more about life.
"There are three things – which will remain private – which I vowed to address as quickly as possible.
"Too often you always put things off. Well this was some reality check and I will sort things out without hesitation in 2026.
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"It's like I've had a second chance and I'm determined to make the most of it."