People often let players who are on the less flamboyant side of the game slip their mind once their career is over. One such star was John Arne Riise!
The former Liverpool star was the Norwegian known to have a venomous left foot before the coming of Manchester City's current left-footed goalscoring machine, Erling Haaland.
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What is perhaps not spoken about enough was his tremendous ability to make the purest, cleanest of contact with a football while getting immense power and shockingly good accuracy in his shots. For most players, it is either one or the other. However, Riise was not most players.
With the way the game is evolving, the fullback position was never as glamorous as it is today with them inverting into midfield and the bigger role they now have in the build-up phases of attacks, but, as always, they still have to be good when their side is on the back foot. Today, the position would arguably require a player who excels at both defending and attacking. The ideal fullback would also perhaps require a strong physical presence to add to his game.
If one were to construct the perfect left-back using different players throughout the game's history, one would surely have to include Riise in the make-up when considering who to use for the left foot. Despite his defensive frailties, he thrived as an attacking fullback, scoring wonder-goals and creating a boat-load of chances from his surges down the left side of the pitch. Perhaps the Norwegian was a player well ahead of his own time and would have received more recognition if he was playing in today's game.
His career began in 1997 in his home country, making his professional debut for Norwegian side Aalesunds FK after he graduated from the club's youth system and found a place in the first XI. Two years later, he secured a move to French side Monaco, making 64 appearances in two seasons before securing a dream move to English giants Liverpool. His time with the Reda was arguably the best of his career, and he became a beloved figure at Anfield right from the get-go.
In his debut for the club, Riise made an instant impact, scoring against Bayern Munich in a 2001 UEFA Super Cup game as the Merseyside club emerged 3-2 victors and secured some silverware on the night. It was as though that fixture foreshadowed what he would bring to the team from the left-back position: crucial goals in the big games. That season, he went on to net against the league's top dogs, including Arsenal, Everton, Newcastle United and Manchester United.
However, it was also his throw-ins that struck fear into the hearts of his opponents, according to his former international teammate Brede Hangeland.
"He was nearly never in defence but what a player he was, such energy levels and the best throw-ins I've ever seen," Hangeland said via Joe.
"Every time we had a throw-in in the opposition half, he'd come up to throw the ball and we'd have six guys our size in the box. The opponent would just go 'Oh!'.
"He probably has the hardest shot I've seen! He'd go and try to hit the wall sometimes from the first free-kick, just to make them scared."
After leaving Liverpool, Riise played for various clubs around the world, including Fulham, Cypriot side APOEL Nicosia and Delhi Dynamos in India, before making a return to his first club Aalesund. After a career break, he returned to India to represent Chennaiyin FC for a short stint, before making another return to his home country where he represented SK Rollon before joining Avaldsnes IL where he hung up his boots.
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In a well-travelled career, the former Norway international made 713 appearances, scoring a stunning 55 goals and amassing 57 assists, a remarkable achievement for someone who spent most of his career playing in the backline.
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