During the Champions League final against AC Milan, Riise provided the cross for Steven Gerrard to head home on 54 minutes - and in doing so helped trigger the greatest comeback European football has ever witnessed.
The fact his penalty was saved by Dida in the shoot-out is now a historical insignificance. The following season was again full of highlights, most notably another opening goal against Chelsea - this time in an FA Cup semi-final. Riise lost his way at Liverpool in his last two seasons often exposed by his lack of skill in receiving the ball and delivering it to a teammate with his personal nadir being his own-goal in the semi-final against Chelsea in the Champions League.
Liverpool were heading for a priceless win in the first leg when Riise dived to head the ball into his own net at the Kop end in the 90th minute. After eventful seven years of highs and lows at Anfield Riise left for Roma on 18 June Jamie Carragher said Riise would be missed.
He has played nearly games and scored a lot of goals. He's played at a very high level for a long time now. He's never injured and he's a great professional who has always looked after himself. John Arne was a regular at Fulham and deservedly got a great reception when he returned to Anfield as a visiting player on 1 May when the Cottagers beat Liverpool Surprisingly, because he was known for the power of his shooting during his seven seasons with Liverpool, he was still waiting for his first Fulham goal after two full seasons with the Cottagers.
At the end of his three-year contract, Riise was released by Fulham. He had played nearly a hundred matches for the Cottagers in three seasons but failed to score a single first-team goal during that time.
At the start of September , Riise signed a two-year contract with Cypriot club APOEL Nicosia but after winning the league and cup double in his first season his contract was terminated by mutual consent. Riise rejoined his old club Aalesund in March but only three months later he confirmed his retirement from football, saying his body could no longer cope and he no longer had the motivation to carry on at a high level.
However, he did change his mind for another stint in the Indian Super League. In he published his autobiography, "Running Man". Appearances per season Season League FA LC Europe Other Total Totals 17 13 79 5 38 2 0 15 1 56 37 3 4 11 1 56 28 1 2 4 0 35 37 0 5 15 0 57 32 6 0 12 2 52 33 1 1 12 1 48 29 4 1 10 0 He returned to the Premier League in and continued to dish out solid performances for Fulham. With Aurelio struggling at Anfield with injury issues all this while, Liverpool should surely have kept Riise in the squad.
Ehhh hello? Excuse me? Xabi Alonso was one of the finest midfielders of his time. Renowned for his work-rate, consistency and versatility, the Spaniard truly made his name at Liverpool. The year-old, who was blessed with excellent technique, passing ability and set-piece prowess, scored 19 goals in appearances in all competitions while mostly playing from a deep-lying midfield position.
After AC Milan took what looked like an unassailable half-time lead against Liverpool in the Champions League final, it was Alonso who restored parity at the half-hour mark before the Anfield club prevailed in the ensuing penalty shootout. Xabi Alonso. What a fella. However, the Spaniard's stay at Liverpool proved to be short-lived as he felt unwanted under manager Rafael Benitez before leaving the club to play for European giants Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.
Teammate Steven Gerrard, in his autobiography, minced no words about Liverpool, and more specifically Benitez, for not doing enough to keep Alonso at the club. Incidentally, it was Benitez who was instrumental in bringing his compatriot to Anfield in the first place.
Liverpool have not since reached the dizzy heights of the Champions League final four, and in part this is due to the total disappointment of the players brought in, who were promised to be stronger than the likes of Riise, but ultimately weren't.
If Riise does now decide to leave Craven Cottage, he needs to select a team that will utilise the best he has to offer. He should not just be a defender fighting from the danger area. He needs to be at a club where his full attacking potential can also be recognised. Enjoy our content? Join our newsletter to get the latest in sports news delivered straight to your inbox!
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