IAN Rush, the player forever synonymous with the Accrington Stanley milk advert, has pledged his support to the club’s survival bid.

The former Liverpool striker has been announced as the guest of honour at a sportsman’s dinner at Dunkenhalge Hotel in Accrington to raise funds for the club on October 29, and Rush has stressed the importance of saving the club.

His name was first linked to Stanley in the famous 1980s milk advert, when a boy told his friend: “Ian Rush said if I don’t drink lots of milk, when I grow up I’ll only be good enough to play for Accrington Stanley.”

Pledging his support, Rush said: “For local supporters it would be terrible for them so I think anything we can do, we want to try to help as much as we can. The local community and the supporters have got to try to get round it but they also need other help and if we can do anything at Liverpool, hopefully it will go a long way to try to retain Football League status.

“I was aware of the milk advert before it was screened because I got asked if they could use my name. Originally it wasn’t going to be Accrington Stanley, it was Arsenal!

“The advert won a lot of awards.”

Neil Ruddock will be the speaker at the dinner, which takes place after the club’s October 28 tax deadline but could be used as evidence of guaranteed income.

Tickets cost £50 each and for more information call 0871 434 1968.