Rush hosts Malaysian goal clinic

Ian

Wales goal-scoring great Ian Rush is in Kuala Lumpur to coach the Malaysian national team's misfiring forwards.

Malaysia's FA hopes the Liverpool legend's striking clinic will inspire the team from their slump.

"I was the first striker coach in the UK when Liverpool hired me during the Gerard Houllier days," said Rush.

"With Malaysia I've got to install confidence into the players, teach them not to stand still as movement is the key then they must utilise the space."

If Rush's three-day training session is a success, the Malaysian FA may appoint a permanent striker coach.

"We will evaluate the effectiveness of the course and we can consider creating a permanent role for a striker coach," said new team manager Khairy Jamaluddin

Malaysia enjoyed a golden era in the 1970s and 1980s when they reached the 1972 and 1980 Olympics and two Asian Cups.

But Malaysia have not won an international tournament since the 1989 Southeast Asian Games and embarrassing defeats by China and Uzbekistan means they have slumped to 164 in the FIFA world rankings.

Liverpool's all-time top scorer Rush said: "I believe the striker is the most important position in football.

"Although I believe strikers are born with natural instincts, we can improve them by a few percentage."