Ex-Liverpool star cried after Benitez blocked appearance milestone

John Arne Riise has revealed that he 'cried in the car' after Rafa Benitez refused to let him reach an appearance milestone for Liverpool.

Former Norwegian star Riise, 44, is written into Anfield folklore after a memorable seven-year stint at the club where he made 348 appearances and seven trophies.

While he did achieve a number of impressive feats at the club - such as their 2005 Champions League triumph - there was one accolade that slipped past the defender.

Riise had wanted to reach the 350 appearance milestone for Liverpool. However, he's now revealed how Benitez came in the way of that and left him crying in the car.

Speaking to BetMGM, Riise said: 'I was in training and someone came down and told me the boss [Benitez] wanted to speak with me.

'With only two games left of the season, I thought it might be to discuss a new contract.

'He sat me down and with absolutely no warning at all, he told me it was best if we went our separate ways at the end of the season. I'm thinking with 348 games for Liverpool across seven seasons, I deserved a bit of an explanation.

'I knew they were bringing in Andrea Dossena because he had told me, so I had a choice to stay and fight for my place or leave.

'However we all know that, when a new player comes in, they can basically be as bad as they like for the first few months and they're still going to play.

'At the age of 27 I couldn't risk sitting on the bench for five months until January, so I knew what I needed to do. He asked if I needed help finding a new club but I didn't want his help so I said no.

'Before I left I asked him if it was possible for me to come on as a sub for the last two games of the season so I could reach 350 appearances for the club. He flatly replied 'no, no chance'.

'I told my team-mates who, like me, were pretty confused and then I went and sat by myself in my car and cried. I called my agent, cried to him and he assured me that he'd find me a new club in a few days. It felt like I'd been given the sack'.

Last year, Riise was one of six contestants in a Norwegian reality TV show titled '16 Weeks of Hell'.

This was a series where celebrities were pushed to their physical breaking point and underwent a strict diet to turn their fitness around.

Speaking before the programme was aired, Riise - who was known for his impressive and strong physique during his playing days - expressed his reasoning for taking part.

'I want to become a machine again,' he told Norwegian outlet Dagbladet. 'It's been a while since I stopped playing football, so it will be exciting to see how much of a machine I can become.

'I want to get back to my everyday routines with both training and diet, push my limits, eat right and feel good when I look in the mirror.'