Liverpool legend Ian Rush has had a football stadium named after him over 5,000 miles away from both Anfield and his birthplace of St Asaph in North Wales.
The 57-year-old remains the Reds all-time top scorer having netted 346 goals for the club over two spells between 1980-87 and 1988-96, winning five League Championships, three FA Cups, five League Cups and two European Cups.
Over two decades on from when he hung up his boots at senior level, Rush's status as a global icon was recognised by the naming of a football stadium after him in Lahore, Pakistan's second-largest city with a population of more than 11million.
Rush is in Pakistan, in collaboration with Oxford Creative Hub, to promote grassroots football and is setting up his foundation IR9 to promote the game in the cricket-mad country.
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During his visit Rush told Sky Sports : “It's not just about facilities and equipment and everything, but about coming over here and seeing what I can do. “The main thing is to try and give boys and girls opportunities that perhaps otherwise they may never have had.
“For me, the most satisfying thing about the work I do with the Ian Rush Foundation is that it encourages children to play football with smiles on their faces, and it's amazing when you see that.
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“When I stopped playing football, I realised I can give something back, and the motivation for me is to try and inspire them and see the children over here with smiles on their faces.
“Sure, the majority of the children won't go on to become footballers, but, through football, they get to meet new people, make new friends, and develop their life skills.
“The Foundation is not just about the football - it's about life, and trying to give young people the best chance of doing whatever it is they want to do in life.”
