Former Liverpool favourite John Arne Riise has spoken candidly about the heartbreak of his Anfield departure, admitting he should never have left the club and was moved to tears when manager Rafa Benitez told him his time was up.
The Agonising Anfield Exit
Riise, who made 348 appearances for Liverpool between 2001 and 2008, revealed the poignant moment he was summoned for a meeting he believed would be about a contract extension, only to be told the club was moving on. The Norwegian left-back, now 44, recounted the story to talkSPORT, explaining he was called from training near the end of the 2007/08 season.
"I sat down and I had no idea," Riise said. "He [Benitez] said 'I think it's time for us to go our separate ways'. I'm thinking I've been here for seven seasons and won everything so why?" Riise was informed that the club was signing Italian defender Andrea Dossena, and while he was given the option to stay and fight for his place, he felt he wouldn't get a chance for months.
Regret Over Roma Move and Champions League Blunder
Riise ultimately departed for AS Roma in 2008, a decision he later came to deeply regret. Reflecting in his personal blog in 2015, he stated plainly: "I must admit that I should have stayed." He believed he would have eventually reclaimed his starting position from Dossena.
The conversation with Benitez came just days after Riise's infamous last-minute own goal against Chelsea in the 2006/07 Champions League semi-final. While devastated by the mistake—"I was crying at home and I didn't talk to anyone for days"—Riise is adamant it did not cause his exit. "I honestly think that the own goal didn't affect Rafa's decision," he said.
A Legacy of Success and Lasting Respect
Despite the painful end, Riise looks back on his Liverpool career with immense pride, having won major honours including the 2005 Champions League in Istanbul. He holds no lasting bitterness towards Benitez, expressing great respect for the manager who gave him "the best night of my life."
Riise's regret is primarily centred on the timing and nature of the communication. "The only thing I wish he did earlier was telling me how I stood within the team," he explained. "If he... told me I needed to step it up, I would have done everything in my power to do so."
The defender also recalled the immediate emotional fallout of that fateful meeting. After his request for two substitute appearances to reach 350 games was denied, he returned to the dressing room. "I went to the car, cried a little bit by myself. Called my agent, cried to him. It was such a shock as I'd been there for seven seasons," Riise confessed.
His story emerges as his two former clubs, Liverpool and Fulham, prepare to meet in the Premier League. Riise, who also played for Fulham in 2011, nearly joined them instead of Liverpool in 2001, but has no regrets about choosing Anfield, calling it "quite an easy decision" for a 20-year-old.
