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Ian Rush is a Welsh former professional footballer who represented the Wales national football team from 1980 to 1996, scoring 28 international goals in 73 appearances.[1] He made his debut on 21 May 1980, in a 1–0 defeat against Scotland in the British Home Championship.[2][3] Rush scored his first international goal two years later in a 3–0 home game victory against Northern Ireland.[4]
In his 55th match, a 6–0 win over the Faroe Islands on 9 September 1992, Rush scored his 23rd international goal and the only hat-trick of his career. This drew him level with the top scorers of Wales: Trevor Ford and Ivor Allchurch.[5] Ford had scored 23 goals in 38 matches between 1947 and 1957, and Allchurch had scored the same number in 68 matches between 1951 and 1966.[6] Rush became the Wales national team's all-time top goalscorer on 31 March 1993, when he broke the record with a goal against Belgium.[7]
Rush scored four more goals in his Wales career to extend the record to 28 goals. He held it until 2018, when Gareth Bale scored his 29th international goal against China.[8] Rush's tally included a goal that saw Wales beat then-world champions Germany in 1991 by a score of 1–0.[9][10][11] He retired from international football in 1996, making his final appearance for Wales in a 3–0 defeat to Italy on 24 January.[12] During his international career, Wales failed to progress further than the qualifying stage of any major tournament.[13]
- ^ Klukowski, Tomasz. "Ian Rush – Goals in International Matches". RSSSF. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
- ^ Rush 2008, p. 71
- ^ Barclay, Patrick (22 May 1980). "Scots Stay in with a Chance". The Guardian. p. 22. Retrieved 13 March 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Malone, Roger (28 May 1982). "N. Ireland Brought to Earth by Superior Wales". The Daily Telegraph. p. 34. Archived from the original on 10 March 2022. Retrieved 10 March 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Giggs Inspire Wales". The Daily Telegraph. 1 April 1993. p. 36. Retrieved 13 March 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Alpuin, Luis Fernando Passo. "Wales – Record International Players". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 6 June 2016. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
- ^ "Wales, England Win Big". The Province. 1 April 1993. p. 56. Archived from the original on 10 March 2022. Retrieved 10 March 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Gareth Bale: Ian Rush and Ryan Giggs on Wales' New Record Scorer". BBC. 23 March 2019. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
- ^ "Euro 2016 countdown: Ian Rush goal sees Wales topple world champions Germany in 1991". BBC. 8 June 2015. Archived from the original on 28 October 2021. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
- ^ Penman, Andrew (4 June 2016). "Terry Yorath's Wales beat World Cup winners Germany on June 5, 1991". South Wales Argus. Archived from the original on 16 October 2021. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
- ^ Ley, John (6 June 1991). "Rush's Strike Gives Wales Historic Won over Germans". The Daily Telegraph. p. 34. Archived from the original on 10 March 2022. Retrieved 10 March 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
appswas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "World Cup finals 1958: the last time Wales qualified for a tournament". The Guardian. 11 October 2015. Archived from the original on 29 October 2021. Retrieved 15 October 2021.