Liverpool favourite John Arne Riise announces retirement

FORMER Liverpool defender John Arne Riise has announced his retirement from football.

By Jonathan Gree

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PLAYING DAYS OVER: JOHN ARNE RIISE HAS ANNOUNCED HIS RETIREMENT

The 35-year-old has cancelled his contract with boyhood club Aalesund in the middle of the Norwegian season and revealed on his website the reasons behind his retirement.

Riise spent seven years with Liverpool between 2001 and 2008, winning the Champions League in 2005 and also helping the Reds to an FA Cup, League Cup, two Community Shields and two UEFA Super Cups.

"My inner, secret goal was to play football at Norwegian top level until I was 40. But that is not it. It stops here," Riise wrote.

"I like to play football, but the motivation is still not strong enough to run the race at the highest level.

"This body - and this head - has been through so much over the last 20 years. It is an admission that is both heavy and painful, and very full of emotion, but it is most of all honest.

"And whenI first saw myself in the mirror and admitted just that for myself, I have to step out completely.

"Perhaps the joy and the necessary motivation sometime back, what do I know, but now it's not big enough. I'm sorry. Especially facing the team, the whole club and all the supporters."

During a 20-year career, he also played for Monaco, Roma, Fulham, APOEL and Delhi Dynamos while he was capped 110 times by Norway.

He is the second Liverpool icon to retire in recent days, after Daniel Agger announced his decision to end his playing career on Thursday.