Just days after former Anfield colleague Daniel Agger hung uo his boots, Norwegian full-back John Arne Riise has followed suit.
The 35-year-old made over 330 appearances in a successful seven-year spell with Liverpool, scoring 30 times.
Revealing the decision on his personal website, Riise remarked: “My inner goal was to play football at the Norwegian top level until I was 40. But that is not to be. It stops here.
“Lately there has emerged a completely new feeling in me that I am no longer strong enough to perform at my best.
“I like to play football but the motivation is 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 a heavy and painful admission and very full of emotion but it is most of all honest.”
A £4million capture from AS Monaco in the summer of 2001, Riise was part of the Liverpool team that memorably lifted the Champions League in 2005.
He also won the FA Cup, League Cup and two Super Cups during his time on Merseyside.
A move to Roma in 2008 was followed by spells at Fulham, APOEL, Indian Super League outfit Delhi Dynamos and, most recently, back with his first professional club Aalesunds.
Riise earned 110 senior caps for Norway, finding the back of the net on 16 occasions.
