John Arne Riise facts for kids
Riise in 2024
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 24 September 1980 | ||
| Place of birth | Molde, Norway | ||
| Height | 1.85 m | ||
| Playing position | Left back, Left winger | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1996 | Aalesund | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1996–1998 | Aalesund | 25 | (5) |
| 1998–1999 | Monaco 2 | 9 | (2) |
| 1998–2001 | Monaco | 44 | (4) |
| 2001–2008 | Liverpool | 234 | (21) |
| 2008–2011 | Roma | 99 | (7) |
| 2011–2014 | Fulham | 87 | (0) |
| 2014–2015 | APOEL | 25 | (4) |
| 2015–2016 | Delhi Dynamos | 12 | (1) |
| 2016 | Aalesund | 10 | (0) |
| 2016–2017 | Chennaiyin | 10 | (1) |
| 2017 | Rollon | 2 | (0) |
| 2023 | Avaldsnes | 1 | (1) |
| Total | 546 | (43) | |
| National team | |||
| 1996 | Norway U15 | 9 | (2) |
| 1997 | Norway U16 | 5 | (2) |
| 1997 | Norway U17 | 2 | (0) |
| 1997–1999 | Norway U18 | 8 | (0) |
| 1999 | Norway U19 | 1 | (0) |
| 1999–2001 | Norway U21 | 17 | (2) |
| 2000–2013 | Norway | 110 | (16) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 2019–2021 | Flint Tønsberg | ||
| 2021–2023 | Avaldsnes | ||
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John Arne Semundseth Riise (born September 24, 1980) is a famous former football player and coach from Norway.
He played for the Norway national team 110 times, which is more than any other player! He scored 16 goals for his country before he stopped playing international football in 2013. John Arne Riise spent seven years playing for the well-known English club Liverpool. During this time, he helped them win many important trophies, including the amazing UEFA Champions League in 2005. After Liverpool, he moved to play for Roma in Italy.
Contents
John Arne Riise's Club Journey
Starting His Football Career
Riise began his football journey in his home country with Aalesund. After playing for their senior team for one season, he moved to France in 1998. He joined the French club Monaco to continue his professional training.
When Aalesund opened their new stadium in 2005, a businessman named Olav Nils Sunde gave the club a statue. This statue was placed in front of the stadium and looked a lot like Riise. Even though Sunde said it wasn't him, everyone thought it was. Riise himself said, "Everyone sees who it is, and I know that it was made for me."
Riise was a regular player for Monaco when they won the French league championship in 2000. However, he wanted to leave the club, which made his coach, Claude Puel, less happy with him. Big clubs in England, like Fulham and Leeds United, wanted to sign him. They offered a lot of money, but Monaco wanted even more. Finally, he joined Liverpool for £4 million.
Playing for Liverpool
John Arne Riise made his first appearance for Liverpool in the 2001 UEFA Super Cup against Bayern Munich. He scored a goal in that game, and Liverpool won 3–2. He also scored important goals in the Premier League against teams like Arsenal, Everton, and Manchester United.
He first wore the number 18 shirt but changed to number 6 in the 2004–05 season. In his first season with Liverpool, he scored 8 goals.
After a couple of quieter seasons, Riise played much better in 2004–05 when Rafael Benítez became the new manager. He helped Liverpool win the UEFA Champions League. In the final against Milan, he set up Liverpool's first goal. Even though his penalty kick was saved in the shootout, Liverpool still won!
In the 2005 Football League Cup Final, Riise scored a goal just 45 seconds into the game. This was the fastest goal ever in that final! However, Chelsea ended up winning the match 3–2 after extra time.
In 2006, Riise signed a new contract to stay at Liverpool until 2009. He even said in 2008 that he wanted to stay at Liverpool for his whole career.
Riise also helped Liverpool win the 2005–06 FA Cup. He scored in the semi-final against Chelsea and made a successful penalty kick in the final against West Ham.
On January 15, 2008, Riise played his 5–0 victory over Luton Town. This game put him on the list of the top 50 players with the most appearances for Liverpool.
However, in a Champions League semi-final match against Chelsea in April 2008, Riise accidentally scored an own goal in the very last minute. This made the score equal, and Liverpool later lost the match and was knocked out of the tournament.
Time with Roma
After his time at Liverpool, Riise signed a four-year contract with the Italian club Roma in June 2008. He quickly became a favorite among the fans because he worked very hard.
Riise scored his first goal for Roma against Internazionale, which was a very important game. Later, he scored another goal against Milan with a powerful free kick. He was named the best player of that game, which Roma won 3–2.
In January 2010, Riise scored a late goal with his head in Roma's 2–1 win against Juventus. He also caused the famous goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon to be sent off in the same game. This moment is remembered as one of Riise's best while playing for Roma.
Fulham and Other Clubs
On July 13, 2011, Riise joined Fulham, where his brother, Bjørn Helge Riise, was also playing. He signed a three-year deal with the club. Riise made his debut for Fulham in a UEFA Europa League match against Crusaders. He left Fulham in May 2014 when his contract ended.
After Fulham, Riise signed a one-year contract with the Cypriot team APOEL in September 2014. He helped APOEL win the Cypriot Cup in May 2015, scoring a fantastic goal from far away. A few days later, APOEL also won the Cypriot league title. This meant Riise won his second league championship, 15 years after winning the French league with Monaco. He left APOEL shortly after winning these two trophies.
In August 2015, Riise joined Indian Super League side Delhi Dynamos. The next year, in March 2016, he returned to his first club, Aalesund. However, he soon decided to take a break from professional football because he felt he had lost some motivation.
In August 2016, Riise came out of retirement to play for another Indian Super League club, Chennaiyin, for two months. He played ten matches and scored one goal for them.
In June 2023, Riise came out of retirement again to play for Avaldsnes IL, a fifth-tier club whose women's team he was managing. He played as a substitute and even scored a goal in his debut for their men's team.
Playing for Norway
Riise played his first game for the Norway national team on January 31, 2000, against Iceland. He scored his first goals for Norway in a friendly match against Turkey in February 2000, helping Norway win 2–0.
He was part of the Norway squad for UEFA Euro 2000, but he didn't play in any of the matches. For the next ten years, Riise was Norway's main left-back. On November 12, 2011, he played his 100th international match.
On August 15, 2012, Riise played his 104th match for Norway, matching Thorbjørn Svenssen's record for the most appearances for the Norwegian team. He eventually broke this record before he stopped playing international football in 2013.
How John Arne Riise Played
John Arne Riise was known for his amazing energy and powerful shots. He was a great defender and also very good at running forward to attack from the left back position. He was also a threat when taking free kicks and corners. While he mostly played as a left-back, he often played as a left midfielder when he was at Liverpool.
Life After Playing Football
After he stopped playing football, Riise took on new roles. On January 4, 2019, he became a sports director for the Maltese club Birkirkara. However, he resigned after less than three months.
On November 5, 2019, Riise became the new manager of the Norwegian club Flint Tønsberg. He left the club at the end of the 2021 season. On December 8, 2021, he was announced as the new manager for the Toppserien club Avaldsnes, signing a two-year contract.
John Arne Riise's Family Life
John Arne Riise has a younger brother named Bjørn Helge Riise, who also played for the Norway national team. Both brothers played for Fulham during the 2011–12 season. John Arne Riise's nephew, Fillip Jenssen Riise, is also a professional footballer.
Riise was married to Guri Havnevik from 2003 to 2004. They have a daughter named Ariana, born in January 2001. He has Ariana's name tattooed on his right arm.
He later got engaged to Maria Elvegard in 2007. They married on June 21, 2010, in New York City. With Maria, he has a daughter named Emma, born in August 2009, and a son named Patrick, born in November 2011. He has Emma's name and birth date, and Patrick's name, tattooed on his left arm. They divorced in February 2012.
In May 2014, he married Louise Angelica. On August 9, 2019, his fourth child, Colin, was born with Louise Angelica Riise.
Before big matches, Riise liked to relax in his hotel room by watching his favorite TV shows. For example, before the 2005 Champions League Final, he watched the TV series 24.
Career Statistics
Club Appearances
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Aalesund | 1997 | Norwegian First Division | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 9 | 1 | |||
| 1998 | Norwegian First Division | 17 | 4 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 17 | 4 | ||||
| Total | 26 | 5 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 26 | 5 | |||||
| Monaco 2 | 1998–99 | Championnat National 2 | 9 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 9 | 2 | ||||
| Monaco | 1998–99 | French Division 1 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 11 | 0 | |
| 1999–2000 | French Division 1 | 21 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 1 | — | 32 | 4 | ||
| 2000–01 | French Division 1 | 16 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 21 | 3 | |
| Total | 44 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 64 | 7 | ||
| Liverpool | 2001–02 | Premier League | 38 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 56 | 8 |
| 2002–03 | Premier League | 37 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 56 | 6 | |
| 2003–04 | Premier League | 28 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 35 | 0 | ||
| 2004–05 | Premier League | 37 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 15 | 1 | — | 57 | 8 | ||
| 2005–06 | Premier League | 32 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 52 | 4 | |
| 2006–07 | Premier League | 33 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 48 | 5 | |
| 2007–08 | Premier League | 29 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 0 | — | 44 | 0 | ||
| Total | 234 | 21 | 17 | 3 | 13 | 2 | 77 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 348 | 31 | ||
| Roma | 2008–09 | Serie A | 31 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 42 | 2 | |
| 2009–10 | Serie A | 36 | 5 | 4 | 0 | — | 12 | 3 | — | 52 | 8 | |||
| 2010–11 | Serie A | 32 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 42 | 1 | ||
| Total | 99 | 7 | 10 | 0 | — | 25 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 136 | 11 | |||
| Fulham | 2011–12 | Premier League | 36 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | — | 44 | 0 | |
| 2012–13 | Premier League | 31 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 32 | 0 | |||
| 2013–14 | Premier League | 20 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 25 | 0 | |||
| Total | 87 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 | — | 101 | 0 | |||
| APOEL | 2014–15 | Cypriot First Division | 25 | 4 | 4 | 2 | — | 1 | 0 | — | 30 | 6 | ||
| Delhi Dynamos | 2015 | Indian Super League | 13 | 1 | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | 15 | 1 | |||
| Aalesund | 2016 | Tippeligaen | 10 | 0 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | 13 | 1 | |||
| Chennaiyin | 2016 | Indian Super League | 10 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 10 | 1 | ||||
| Rollon | 2017 | 4. divisjon | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | ||||
| Career total | 559 | 45 | 43 | 8 | 22 | 2 | 118 | 7 | 12 | 3 | 754 | 65 | ||
International Appearances
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Norway | 2000 | 7 | 1 |
| 2001 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2002 | 9 | 2 | |
| 2003 | 11 | 0 | |
| 2004 | 10 | 0 | |
| 2005 | 10 | 2 | |
| 2006 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2007 | 11 | 2 | |
| 2008 | 8 | 1 | |
| 2009 | 9 | 4 | |
| 2010 | 7 | 1 | |
| 2011 | 8 | 1 | |
| 2012 | 8 | 2 | |
| 2013 | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 110 | 16 | |
- Scores and results list Norway's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Riise goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 23 February 2000 | Ali Sami Yen Stadium, Istanbul, Turkey |  Turkey |
1–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
| 2 | 7 September 2002 | Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo, Norway |  Denmark |
1–1 | 2–2 | UEFA Euro 2004 qualification |
| 3 | 16 October 2002 | Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo, Norway |  Bosnia and Herzegovina |
2–0 | 2–0 | UEFA Euro 2004 qualification |
| 4 | 9 February 2005 | Ta'Qali Stadium, Ta' Qali, Malte |  Malta |
3–0 | 3–0 | Friendly |
| 5 | 8 June 2005 | Råsunda Stadium, Stockholm, Sweden |  Sweden |
1–1 | 3–2 | Friendly |
| 6 | 2 June 2007 | Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo, Norway | Malta |
4–0 | 4–0 | UEFA Euro 2008 qualification |
| 7 | 12 September 2007 | Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo, Norway |  Greece |
2–2 | 2–2 | UEFA Euro 2008 qualification |
| 8 | 28 May 2008 | Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo, Norway |  Uruguay |
2–2 | 2–2 | Friendly |
| 9 | 1 April 2009 | Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo, Norway |  Finland |
1–1 | 3–2 | Friendly |
| 10 | 12 August 2009 | Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo, Norway |  Scotland |
1–0 | 4–0 | FIFA World Cup 2010 qualification |
| 11 | 5 September 2009 | Laugardalsvöllur, Reykjavík, Iceland |  Iceland |
1–0 | 1–1 | FIFA World Cup 2010 qualification |
| 12 | 9 September 2009 | Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo, Norway |  Macedonia |
1–0 | 2–1 | FIFA World Cup 2010 qualification |
| 13 | 8 October 2010 | Antonis Papadopoulos Stadium, Larnaca, Cyprus |  Cyprus |
1–0 | 2–1 | UEFA Euro 2012 qualification |
| 14 | 10 August 2011 | Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo, Norway |  Czech Republic |
2–0 | 3–0 | Friendly |
| 15 | 15 August 2012 | Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo, Norway | Greece |
2–3 | 2–3 | Friendly |
| 16 | 11 September 2012 | Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo, Norway |  Slovenia |
2–1 | 2–1 | FIFA World Cup 2014 qualification |
Trophies and Awards
Here are some of the major trophies and awards John Arne Riise won during his career:
Monaco
- French Division 1: 1999–2000
- Trophée des Champions: 2000
Liverpool
- FA Cup: 2005–06
- Football League Cup: 2002–03; (runner-up in 2004–05)
- FA Community Shield: 2001, 2006
- UEFA Champions League: 2004–05; (runner-up in 2006–07)
- UEFA Super Cup: 2001, 2005
- FIFA Club World Championship (runner-up): 2005
APOEL
- Cypriot First Division: 2014–15
- Cypriot Cup: 2014–15
Individual Awards
- Kniksen of the Year: 2006
See Also
In Spanish: John Arne Riise para niños
- List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps
