Ian Rush and Sir Alex Ferguson shared a warm hug with the Liverpool legend at the Aintree Festival on Friday as the former Manchester United manager revealed he had tried to sign him.
Sir Alex Ferguson and Ian Rush embrace at Aintree (Image: https://x.com/itvracing)
Liverpool legend Ian Rush has revealed he had a healthy spell at Aintree, with Sir Alex Ferguson once trying to sign him for Manchester United.
Ten players have played for both Liverpool and United, including Paul Ince, Michael Owen and Peter Beardsley. And Rush could certainly join that list, as Ferguson was looking to take him to Old Trafford after his time at Juventus.
Rush, 64, spent six years at Liverpool before joining Juve in 1987 and returned to the Reds after just one season in Italy. But things could have gone very differently for Rush following Ferguson’s approach.
The Scot, who joined United from Aberdeen in 1986, wanted Rush to strengthen his forward line.
World Cup Legends: The stars of soccer’s biggest tournament in history – buy the special edition now
read more: Manchester United hero speaks out after former World Cup star arrested for attempted robberyread more: Man City ‘close in’ on Manchester United transfer target with Arsenal tattoo on arm
Asked if he respected what Rush had achieved in his career, Ferguson told ITV: “Absolutely, I hated him. He’s a class guy.”
Former Wales international Rush revealed his approach, replying: “He tried to sign me when I came back from Juventus. By the way, he’s a legendary manager. Scottish managers are the best.”
Rush and Ferguson were in attendance at Aintree on Friday to watch the horse racing. Mr. Ferguson is an avid fan of the sport and owns a number of horses, including Caldwell Potter, Protect Rat and L’Au du Sud.
Meanwhile, Rush is also a big fan of the horse racing scene. “I love horse racing. I love everything about horse racing. That’s what horse racing is all about,” he added.
Sir Alex Ferguson and Ian Rush hugging each other (Image: https://x.com/itvracing)
“We love football and all that, but for me golf is not. The second best thing is horse racing.”
Rush has scored 339 points in 654 games, making him Liverpool’s all-time leading scorer. However, he has underperformed against United throughout his career, scoring just three times in 34 games.
But that didn’t stop Ferguson from signing, and the 84-year-old went on to become one of United’s most decorated managers in history. In fact, he won 13 Premier League titles, five FA Cups, two Champions Leagues and two League Cups during his Reds career.
In all, Ferguson played a whopping 1,500 matches, of which he won 895 and drew 338. He retired as manager at the end of the 2012/13 season after leading United to their 20th top-flight title.
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive Mirror Football content every day. Community members also receive special offers, promotions, and advertisements from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check it out whenever you like. If you are interested, please read our privacy notice.
Get a free £3 William Hill Shop bet inside the mirror every day during the Grand National Festival
Don’t miss out on our free shop bets, published every day during the Grand National Festival in your favorite horse racing newspaper! Plus, every day from Thursday 9th April to Saturday 11th April 2026, you’ll get expertise from top tipsters with drawers covering runners, riders and everything you need to make this iconic festival the biggest in history. Click here for more information.
Only bet if you are over 18 years old. Terms and conditions apply. See the paper for details.
