Background
Rushton was born in Sedgley, Staffordshire.
Rushton was born in Sedgley, Staffordshire.
He played as a full back. He captained the Brierley Hill schools representative side before joining Birmingham City as an amateur in 1959. He made his debut in the First Division on 30 March 1963, deputising for Stan Lynn in a home game against Sheffield Wednesday which resulted in a 1–1 draw.
This was the first of a run of eleven games, nine in the league and both legs of the League Cup semi-final, which ended when Lynn regained fitness.
He played three more first-team games before joining Fourth Division club N ottinghamshire County in 1967, but after one season, in which he played only three games, Rushton dropped into non-league football with Stourbridge.