Riise was a fantastic servant to Liverpool between 2001 and 2008, and he is still yet to be replaced properly at Anfield. The Norwegian left-back was hugely consistent, both going forward and defensively, scored memorable goals and was an integral part of both Houllier and Benitez's teams for a number of years. Admittedly, in 2007/08 Riise was probably having his worst season in a Reds shirt. He looked a little leggy, his influence was not what it had been and his disastrous last-minute own goal in the 2008 Champions League semi-final against Chelsea turned the tie hugely in the Blues' favour. Despite this, he was still a class act, and at 27 was in and around his prime. In the summer of 2008, however, Benitez decided that he didn't need the likeable defender at the club anymore, selling him to Roma and bringing in the hapless Andrea Dossena instead. His excellence was missed straight away, and whether it be Fabio Aurelio, Paul Konchesky, Jose Enrique or Alberto Moreno in the years since, none have have got close to matching Riise's influence.
