'We're out to beat Italy' - Ian Rush

Liverpool legend Ian Rush admits he was oblivious to the eternal rivalry between Italy and England supporters in Malta.

But the heightened passion among local fans is serving as the perfect appetiser for the once-prolific striker as he prepares for the Legends' Italy vs England football match at Ta' Qali on November 1.

"If the Italians think they're going to have it easy, they have another thing coming," Rush told The Sunday Times.

The former Liverpool and Juventus striker will be managing the England squad, which will be facing former Italian greats like Paolo Rossi, Totò Schillaci and Claudio Gentile. Other names will be confirmed in the coming weeks.

The match forms part of the Malta Music Festival, which climaxes with a concert by pop giants Simply Red. Concert tickets, starting from Lm6 and Lm10, went on sale yesterday.

Though the match is billed as a friendly, Rush made it clear that his team will go out to win.

"Professional footballers who play at the top for so long and participate in these kind of matches wouldn't keep playing if they didn't have the will to win," he said.

The former Wales striker still enjoys the odd kick-about, despite hanging up his boots seven years ago.

He has a number of matches lined up this year and in December will be representing the rest of the world along the likes of Gianfranco Zola for a match against England in Manchester.

"The most important thing is that you keep yourself fit. You can't just turn up for a match and pretend you can play as you used to," said Rush, who still looks as scrawny as he did in his heyday.

"Maybe we enjoy playing more now than when we did at the top level. Now we also try to entertain the crowd."

Discussing British Premier League nowadays, Rush underlines the importance of players to be more fit than ever. "You have to look after your body more than ever... gone are the days when you can just turn up for a match. You are often judged by your fitness, apart from the skill. Just look at Ryan Giggs and Ronaldo."

During a news conference at the Ta' Qali stadium earlier, former British players made it clear there were some old scores to settle.

Ex-Wolves, Arsenal and Ipswich player Alan Sunderland, who now lives in Malta, and Bolton player Simon Charlton, who retired last summer, can't wait for the match.

"There's never really been a friendly between England and Italy?" Charlton laughs.

In a video message, Schillaci urges Maltese fans to turn up en masse. As Maltese football fans continue to support Italy and England, the event promises to be a success.

Sponsored mainly by the Finance Ministry, the events are being organised by a UK-based organisation which specialises in All-Stars events. Tickets are available directly from the organisers (tel. 2132-2001) and from Tuesday from any Go Mobile shop.

For more information visit www.maltamusicfestival.com.