Liverpool legend Ian Rush endured 48 hours in intensive care following an emergency hospital admission with suspected ‘superflu’. The 64-year-old was admitted to the Countess of Chester hospital last week, suffering from breathing problems. Rush was swiftly transferred to the intensive care unit amid concerns for his well-being.
The iconic former Reds forward is now believed to be on the mend from the flu strain that has ravaged Britain this month, although he is still receiving hospital treatment. The Welsh football hero is expected to return home before Christmas to be with his family, including his partner, Carol Anthony, who is 16 years his junior. Rush started his relationship with the Irish singer and model following his split from Tracy, his wife of 25 years, in 2012.
Speaking to WalesOnline in 2022, he said he “couldn’t be happier” with how his life had turned out, with sons Jonathan and Daniel doing well, whilst having recently settled into a new property he’d constructed with long-term partner Carol.
Their romance immediately attracted media attention when it first became public knowledge, with Carol facing allegations of wrecking the footballing legend’s marriage, alongside scrutiny regarding the couple’s age gap.
Nevertheless, Carol chose to set the record straight after multiple publications incorrectly stated there was a 22-year age gap between herself and Rush, disclosing the reality of their partnership in doing so. “It was in a couple of 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,” she 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.
“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 years and helped 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.'”
Since then, the pair have been occupied planning their future, with Ian and Carol disclosing last year they were considering a summer ceremony in the south of France. However, they haven’t yet confirmed whether they’ve actually walked down the aisle.
Discussing how she handled the criticism she faced during the initial phase of her relationship with Rush, she 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. I went into a phase where I wanted to be unknown. Then I realised I shouldn’t be hiding.”
Rush claimed 18 trophies during his two stints at Anfield, including five First Division titles, five League Cups, three FA Cups and two European Cups. He remains the club’s all-time leading scorer with 346 goals across 660 appearances.
The striker also represented Juventus, Leeds, Newcastle, and Wrexham throughout his 22-year playing career, earning 73 caps for Wales and scoring 28 goals before retiring in 2000.