Brush came through West Ham United's academy[3] to make his first-team debut as a 19-year-old, on 20 August 1977 in a 3–1 defeat against Norwich City in the First Division.
[4] He was an unused substitute for West Ham in the 1980 FA Cup Final at Wembley Stadium,[5] when the Hammers became the last team (as of 2023) from outside the top flight to win the trophy.
He spent three seasons with Palace, followed by another three with Southend United, then moved into non-league football with clubs including Enfield[2] and Heybridge Swifts.
[6] Brush joined Leyton Orient as youth coach in 1994, was appointed manager in October 2001,[5] and was sacked after two years in charge with the club second bottom of the league.
[7] Steve Tilson, appointed manager of Southend United in late 2003, brought in Brush as his assistant, and the pair led the club to two successive promotions, from League Two to the Championship.