No 93: Riise’s thunderbolt free-kick

Riise’s thunderbolt free-kick

Signed from Monaco in the summer 2001, John Arne Riise proved to be one of Gerard Houllier’s best signings. Capable of playing at left-back and left-wing, Riise quickly made an impact with his purposeful runs into attack and his eye for goal.

On the 4th of November 2001, Liverpool recorded a thrilling 3-1 victory over Manchester United at Anfield. Michael Owen was in sensational form on the day and scored a stunning brace, but the 3-1 victory will always be remembered for John Arne Riise’s stunning free kick, a goal that will never be forgotten! John Arne Riise won a place in the heart of every Liverpool fan that afternoon. To the day John Arne Riise left the club, the Kop always paid tribute to his thunderbolt free kick by singing “John Arne Riise, ooh ah, I wanna know, how you scored that goal”…. A free kick came up on the right hand side, Didi Hamann nudged the ball a meter to the left into Riise’s shooting stride who made perfect contact with the ball, unleashing a drive that touched 70mph on its way into the net. One of the best goals Anfield has ever witnessed.

Riise left Liverpool for AS Roma on the 18th of June, 2008 after appearing in 348 games for the Reds scoring 31 goals.