John Arne Riise hits out at Liverpool stars Daniel Sturridge and Roberto Firmino in Twitter Q&A
The Norwegian full-back gave forthright opinions on some of the club's biggest names
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Your support makes all the difference.Former Liverpool full-back John Arne Riise made frank assessments of some of the club's players past and present during a Twitter Q&A session on Monday.
The former Norway international was a fan favourite during his seven years at Anfield, where he won the FA Cup, League Cup and the Champions League, before leaving for Roma in 2008.
He renewed that relationship with the club’s fans by inviting them to ask him anything via social media and his honest replies caused quite a stir.
Daniel Sturridge, the club’s star striker who has struggled for fitness in recent months, was Riise’s most surprising target. When asked whether he thought Sturridge would be a success under new manager Jurgen Klopp, Riise claimed that the striker “needs to step up his work rate with Klopp”.
Roberto Firmino, a £29m summer signing, was also told to pull his socks up. “Needs to show more” was his fair if slightly vague assessment of the Brazilian’s efforts so far.
Riise saved his most damning judgment for Jose Enrique, the left-back who remains at the club despite not featuring regularly in the last two seasons.
When asked if he could see any way back for the Spaniard, the Norwegian bluntly replied: "Hope not."
There were more forthright opinions for players of other clubs. Arsenal’s Mesut Ozil was dismissed as “not my type of player” while he “can’t believe” how Everton’s Gareth Barry still plays in the Premier League.
Riise did, however, reserve praise a number of former teammates and current Liverpool players.
He dismissed the idea that fellow marauding left-back Alberto Moreno will become “the new Riise”, calling him only “the great Moreno”, while also declaring James Milner as “100 per cent my type of player”.
When asked for his opinion on former Liverpool captain Sami Hyypia, he said “…without him I wouldn’t have made it” while the Finn’s long-time defensive partner Jamie Carragher was praised as “pure class”.
Fortunately for Riise, it is unlikely he'll have to face up to any of the players who he has spoken so candidly about.
The 35-year-old is now plying his trade in the Indian Super League with the Delhi Dynamos.
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