One of the greatest strikers of all time left his wife of two and a half decades for a singer and model 16 years his junior. But while his new woman admitted there was a “flirtation” while he was still married, she slammed claims of any affair.
Ian Rush, who turned 65 today, Tuesday, October 20, is Liverpool’s record goalscorer, having found the net 346 times in all competitions. The Wales goal machine lifted five league titles at Anfield along with two European Cups, three FA Cups and five League Cups during a glittering career, and to this day, he remains the highest goalscorer in the history of England’s domestic cup finals.
The dad-of-two made headlines back in 2012 when he separated from his wife of 25 years, Tracy Rush. He then began a relationship with Irish beauty Carol Anthony. At the time, Carol faced accusations of wrecking the ex-Juventus forward’s marriage and came under fire for the age gap between them.
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Speaking in 2013 to the Irish Independent, Carol firmly rejected claims that they had any romantic involvement while Rush remained married to Tracy. She said: “There was a flirtation, I will admit that, but there was never a relationship and Jesus, not an affair. That’s beyond a joke.”
A lifelong Liverpool fan, the Irish stunner worked as a model and appeared on TV3’s Celebrity Salon in 2012 and then made a foray into pop music, singing under the moniker Havana and was managed by former Wham! mastermind Simon Napier-Bell.
Rush and Carol got engaged in 2019 and in 2022, the legendary goal machine shared that he “couldn’t be happier” with his life, watching his two sons Jonathan and Daniel flourish, having recently settled into a new home he built with Carol.
Wedding plans emerged, with Carol revealing they were thinking about getting married the following summer. However, discussion around their relationship persisted, with various publications claiming there was a 22-year age difference between the former Leeds United and Newcastle United ace and his glamorous partner.
Carol subsequently felt compelled to address the speculation and set the record straight. Speaking to the Irish Independent, she explained: “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.
“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.”
She continued: “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 year years and help 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.”
Carol went on to describe how she dealt with the fierce criticism during the initial phase of her relationship with the former Chester City and Wrexham ace. “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,” she said.
“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.”
The couple can often be seen together at Liverpool games and back in 2018, while watching Jurgen Klopp’s famous 5-2 win over Roma at Anfield, a picture of them went viral. Fans insisted Carol was the real “worldie” of the occasion.
One user wrote: “Liverpool’s all-time leading goalscorer Ian Rush might be retired, but he’s clearly still scoring.” Another fan remarked: “The real winner of tonight’s game is Ian Rush by the look of it.”
Rush, who is an ambassador for Liverpool, suffered health problems in 2025 and was rushed to hospital when Carol called an ambulance after he fell ill after catching a severe flu.
He was in intensive care after collapsing twice at his home in Cheshire, before he was discharged following a week in hospital.
Speaking about the ordeal, he said: “The [second] 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.”
He added: “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.
Rush 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.”
The former Sheffield United striker 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. It’s like I’ve had a second chance and I’m determined to make the most of it.”