London: Football legend Ian Rush's wife has demanded a divorce after discovering his affair with a model 20 years younger than him.
According to the Sun.co.uk's exclusive report, the Liverpool FC hero has been seeing Irish beauty Carol Anthony for three years in secret behind wife Tracy's back.
Last week Rush, 51, was spotted flying off to Malta with 30-year-old Carol. It is thought they want to begin a new life together once his split from Tracy, 52, is finalised.
Housewife Tracy has suspected an affair since September, but only gave her husband the red card in recent weeks after 26 years of marriage.
A friend of The Kop superstar — who scored 346 goals for the Reds from 1980-96 — said: “Ian’s wife is going hell for leather.”
Today The Sun can reveal Rush was handed a legal letter threatening divorce proceedings by Tracy in an emotional showdown at their £1.5million Merseyside home after he returned from holiday with Carol.
Rush — who has sons Jonathan, 23, and Daniel, 20, with Tracy — fell for the leggy brunette after they met in Portugal in 2010 where he and his missus have a holiday villa.
A friend of Carol’s said: “They chatted and exchanged telephone numbers and from that point on they texted each other all the time.”
Since then millionaire Rush and Carol, from County Cork, Ireland, have enjoyed trysts in Dubai, Malta, Ireland and across Britain.
Rush, who collected the MBE from the Queen in 1996, won five league titles, three FA Cups and a European Cup in his career. He also won 73 international caps for Wales and is the national team’s record scorer — 28 goals between 1980 and 1996.
Today he is official ambassador for Liverpool FC and jets around the world promoting the club.
Rush has previously described Tracy, who he wed in 1987, as “the backbone of the family”.
Tracy discovered the affair after finding an explicit text on her husband’s mobile phone from Carol.
A pal of the footballer said: “Tracy is devastated. She felt she had given up her whole life for him and maybe he never really loved her.”
Liverpool FC declined to comment.Last night Tracy said: “I haven't filed for divorce. We aren’t separated, he is still living in the family home.”
When asked about the affair she said: “You will have to speak to Ian, I just want to maintain my dignity.”
