JOHN ARNE RIISE surprised football fans when he made a shock return to the pitch years after his retirement.
The sportsman has had a varied and interesting career since he started playing at Aalesund in his homeland of Norway.
Who is former Liverpool defender John Arne Riise?
John Arne Riise is a Norwegian professional football manager and player.
He plays as a left back and a left midfielder and is best known for his seven year stint with Liverpool from 2001 to 2008.
He made 234 appearances for the club, scoring 21 goals.
He won the FA Cup with the Reds in 2006, as well as the League Cup in 2003, and the Community Shield in 2001 and 2006.
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Riise also bagged a winners medal at the Champions League in 2005, and was victorious at the Uefa Super Cup in 2001 and 2005.
Riise also played for Norway's national team 2000 until 2013, earning 110 caps.
He made his debut during their match against Iceland on January 31, 2000.
In August 2012, Riise played his 104th match for Norway.
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This put him equal with Thorbjørn Svenssen's record as the most capped Norwegian player, though Riise eventually broke this record before he retired from international football in 2013.
He scored 16 goals during his international career and was named in the squad for UEFA Euro 2000, though he did not end up playing in the tournament.
The star was born on September 24, 1980, in Molde, Norway, and began his career playing for Aalesund.
Riise married his childhood sweetheart Guri Havnevik in 2003, with the marriage only lasting a year.
The couple have one daughter, Ariana, born in 2001, but split in 2004.
The sportsman married his second wife Maria Elvegard in New York City in June 2010.
The couple announced their split in 2012 but welcomed daughter Emma and son Patrick during their relationship.
In 2014, Riise married a third time, tying the knot with Louise Angelica.
Louise gave birth to the pair's son Colin in August 2019.
What other clubs did John Arne Riise play for?
Prior to signing for Liverpool in 2001, Riise had played a single season as a senior player for Aalesund and spent three years with Monaco.
After leaving Liverpool, Riise signed a four-year contract with Italian club Roma.
He then signed a three-year-deal with Fulham in 2011, joining his brother Bjørn Helge Riise who had joined the club in 2009.
In 2014, Riise signed a one-year contract, with the option of a further season, with Cypriot side Apoel.
His contract was terminated by mutual consent in 2015.
Riise then had a brief stint with Indian Super League (ISL) side Delhi Dynamos before announcing he was taking a break from football, shortly after he confirmed a return to Aalesund.
He returned from retirement – the first time – to play for ISL club Chennaiyin in 2016, retiring again once the season had finished.
Where is John Arne Riise now?
In June 2023, Riise made a shock return out of retirement.
He had announced the end of his football career in 2017 and moved into coaching, taking charge of women’s side Avaldsnes IL.
But he then surprised by fans by playing for Norwegian side Avaldsnes in their game against Rubbestadnes IL on June 17, 2023,
Riise revealed that he will return to the pitch for the team again in the future, telling NRK : "It's more to keep me involved in football and have something to do in my spare time between all the work.
"I'm looking forward to it and I hope that the coach thinks I'm good enough to come up with some things."
What is John Arne Riise's net worth?
Two years after winning the Champions League with Liverpool, the defender was listed as bankrupt in 2007.
In 2012, pictures of his payslip emerged on the internet revealing he took home more than £82,000 after paying around £55,500 in tax.
In 2018, his ex-wife claimed he made ten withdrawals from his daughter's savings.
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In 2023, reports on Riise's net worth vary greatly, ranging from $5million to $20million.
Much of his fortune is likely to have come from his career as a player.
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