THREE Liverpool legends have been voted into the National Football Museum's Hall of Fame. World Cup winner Roger Hunt, all-time leading scorer Ian Rush and classy defender Alan Hansen will be formally inducted at a special awards ceremony at Liverpool's Crowne Plaza Hotel on Thursday, October 19. Prolific striker Hunt, who made 492 appearances for the Reds between 1959 and 1970, won two titles and one FA Cup during his stay at Anfield. His haul of 245 league goals stands as a club record, as does his total of 41 goals during 1961/62. Rush made 658 appearances in two stints at Anfield, scoring a record 346 goals. The Welshman won five titles, five League Cups, three FA Cups and the European Cup. The deadly frontman notched a record 44 FA Cup goals and his five goals in FA Cup finals is an all-time record. He also holds the Merseyside derby scoring record with 25 goals. Skilful centre-half Hansen's defensive prowess played a keyrole in Liverpool's dominance in the late 70s and 80s. The Scottish international captained the Reds to the league and cup double in 1986 and was one of Bob Paisley's most inspired signings. His list of honours included three European Cups and eight league titles. Reds legend Kenny Dalglish, who entered the Hall of Fame in 2002, has hailed the decision. "The contribution that all three made to Liverpool Football Club was immense," he said. "Roger came some time before big Al and Tosh but the goals he scored, along with what Bill Shankly did at Anfield, was one of the main reasons the club is where it is today. "They were the ones who started it all off and to see Roger getting recognised like this is really brilliant for him. But don't forget he's already had a knighthood from the Liverpool fans! "Big Al thoroughly deserves it. In some ways he was a bit unlucky. He was captain of the double winning team in '86 but because I was player manager he never really got the recognition he deserved. I'm talking publicly of course because privately he most certainly did. "He was a big reason for the success in my period. What he did off the pitch was every bit as great a contribution as what he did on it. "As for Rushie, his two spells at the club speak for themselves and he thor-oughly deserves to be in there. Both he and Roger were top class goal scorers. But Rushie's movement outside the box was probably a bit more than Roger's and he was also an under-rated passer of the ball. "The three of them would probably get into any all-time best Liverpool squad." The other players on the list for 2006 are former Newcastle striker Jackie Milburn, Hunt's former England team-mate Martin Peters, Arsenal legend Liam Brady and ex-Chelsea star Gianfranco Zola. Former West Ham and England boss Ron Greenwood and current Arsenal chief Arsene Wenger have been voted into the managers category. All the living inductees have confirmed their intention to attend the ceremony at the Crowne Plaza, while Milburn, who died in 1988, and Greenwood, who died in February this year, will be represented by their sons. Launched in 2002, the Hall of Fame celebrates the greatest players and managers of all time in English football. After his induction as a manager in 2005, Blues legend Howard Kendall formed part of an elite selection panel, including Sir Alex Ferguson and Sir Bobby Charlton. Kendall said: "There were some hard choices to make, but I think the panel has again selected players and managers of a truly high quality." Tickets for the awards ceremony cost £150, including a champagne reception and dinner. There are a variety of packages for group bookings and opportunities to sponsor inductees. All proceeds go to support the work of the museum, particularly its educational and social programmes. Forfurther details contact Mark Moisley on 07843 350161 or email: mark.moisley@nationalfootballmuseum.com. * What do youthink of this year's additions to the Hall of Fame? Send your comments to sport@liverpoolecho.co.uk | 
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