Origin: Norway Bought From: AS Monaco Bought By: Gérard Houllier Apps: 397 Honours: FA Community Shield 2001 & 2006, UEFA Super Cup 2001 & 2005, League Cup 2003, UEFA Champions League 2005 "Release the Kraken!" To be fair to the enthusiastic American who utter this immortal line in response to a Riise thunderbolt, this phrase genuinely did sum up the left back's immense ability when it came to striking a football. When Riise was signed by Houllier in 2001 not many had heard of him but he made an immediate impact, scoring on his debut against Bayern Munich during the 3-2 Super Cup win. This ensured Riise hit the ground running and he managed to bag a total of 10 goals in his debut season for the Reds. That's a mighty impressive statistic for a left back. The goals were also against strong and important opposition, mostly, with Premier League goals coming against Merseyside rivals Everton and fellow title contenders such as Arsenal and Manchester United. After a bright start to his Anfield career, Riise found his way into a slump in form during the 2002/03 and 2003/04 seasons. But he was back to his best during the 2004/05 season when he helped Liverpool to their fifth Champions League triumph - providing the assist for Steven Gerrard's looping header to start the comeback to end all comebacks. Riise also scored in Liverpool's 3-2 League Cup final defeat to Chelsea earlier in that 2004/05 season - scoring a blistering volley inside the first minute. The following season was to bring more success for the Norwegian as he and Liverpool went on to beat West Ham United in the FA Cup final after extra time and penalties - Riise converting his penalty with a powerful drive. Riise did eventually lose his place in the side during the 2007/2008 season after Fábio Aurélio was brought in by Rafael Benitez but all Kopites who watched Liverpool during the Noughties will remember and appreciate John Arne Riise's contribution for a very, very long time.- "Release The Kraken!"