Former Roma player Riise retires from football

The former Norway international, who finished his career where he started it, with Aalesund in his native country, made the announcement in a post on his official website on Monday.

In a successful 20-year professional career Riise spent three seasons with Roma, arriving at the club in 2008 and departing at the end of the 2010-11 season. During that time he made 136 appearances for the club in all competitions – scoring 11 goals.

He quickly became a firm favourite with the Giallorossi supporters for his tenacity and commitment on the pitch and was one of the key players for coach Claudio Ranieri during the 2009-10 season – where the club nearly pipped Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan to the Scudetto.

During that season, in which Riise was the club’s top appearance maker, fans perhaps best remember his goal against Juventus in Turin, which helped the club come from behind to take the three points against the Bianconeri.

After starting his career at Aalesund, the powerful left-footer subsequently played for Monaco and Liverpool, where he enjoyed perhaps the greatest success of his career – winning the Champions League in 2005.

Then came his time in Italy, before he returned to the Premier League with Fulham. After leaving the London club he represented APOEL, Delhi Dynamos and, finally, Aalesund once again.

Riise retires as the most-capped Norwegian player of all time, having appeared 110 times for his country during his career.