- Rush was a die-hard childhood Evertonian who stood on Gwladys Street terrace
- Gordon Lee wanted to sign both Graeme Sharp and Rush, but the board refused
- Liverpool swooped, landing a talisman who went on to score 346 goals for the Reds
Everton have had lots of sliding doors moments in the transfer market, missteps that have seen the players passed upon go onto become devastatingly effective for other clubs.
In the last few years alone, the Blues have had Erling Haaland, Gabriel and Luis Diaz in their grasp only to let them slip through their fingers.
But as transfer madness gets into full swing, it’s worth recalling what is arguably Everton’s greatest mistake. It occurred way back in 1980 when the Toffees decided to pass on a forward who would become the Erling Haaland of the decade to follow: Ian Rush.
Boyhood Blue in the Gwladys Street
Long before he was breaking Evertonian hearts, Ian Rush was a die-hard Blue. Growing up in North Wales, he regularly made the pilgrimage to Goodison Park to watch his heroes. He was even standing in the lower Gwladys Street on the final day of the 1977-78 season, watching his idol Bob Latchford score his legendary 30th league goal for the Blues.
As Rush began making waves as a teenager for Third Division Chester City, he openly hoped his boyhood club would come calling. For years, the myth persisted that Everton scouts simply weren’t impressed. But the reality is far more frustrating: manager Gordon Lee desperately wanted him.
Slashed budget: Lee’s dream strike force
In the spring of 1980, Gordon Lee was scouting for fresh blood to ignite a stagnant Everton attack. In a remarkable scouting streak, Lee watched Chester Reserves one night and spotted a raw, energetic Ian Rush. The very next evening, he travelled to Dumbarton and discovered a powerful young striker named Graeme Sharp.
Lee returned to the Everton board with a visionary proposal: sign both. He explicitly told chairman Philip Carter that, paired together, Rush and Sharp would form one of the most devastating strike partnerships in English football.
The financial hurdle? Chester wanted £300,000 for Rush. The Everton board flatly refused to fund both transfers, telling Lee he could only have one. Lee chose the cheaper option, signing Sharp for £80,000.
The ultimate “What if?”
Everton’s financial hesitation became Liverpool’s greatest triumph. Bob Paisley swooped in, met Chester’s £300,000 asking price, and eventually convinced a hesitant Rush to move to Anfield.
While Graeme Sharp went on to become an undisputed Everton legend—spearheading Howard Kendall’s glorious mid-80s side to two league titles and a European Cup Winners’ Cup—one cannot help but wonder what could have been.
Imagine a mid-1980s Everton side boasting both Sharp and Rush. Not only would the Blues have possessed the most feared frontline in Europe, but they would have simultaneously stripped Liverpool of the talisman who scored 346 goals for them.
Philip Carter made some decent decisions as Everton chairman, but blocking the £300,000 move for a teenage Ian Rush remains one of the costliest transfer blunders in Everton’s football history.
It makes some of the club’s more recent mistakes pale by comparison
