Bjørn Helge Riise
Encyclopedia
Bjørn Helge Semundseth Riise (born 21 June 1983 in Ålesund
) is a Norwegian
professional footballer. He plays his club football for Fulham
. He plays either a central midfielder
or a right winger having joined Fulham in July 2009 from Norwegian club Lillestrøm, and is the brother of his Fulham team-mate John Arne Riise
.
and Cardiff City
, but deals failed to materialize. Riise threatened to retire after the Cardiff deal fell through due to complications with Aalesund, his club at the time, stating "I don't understand what Aalesund want from me. I almost want to quit football because it's not fun anymore".
, after impressing on a trial that included two reserve team
appearances. He became teammates with fellow Norwegian Ole Martin Årst
.
ed out to Brussels. When his contract expired, Brussels would have a call option
on him. However, there were transfer talks between Brussels and Brann, according to Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad
.
and Erik Nevland
at Fulham
, for a fee believed to be around £2 million. Riise subsequently signed a three-year deal with for an undisclosed fee.
He made his Fulham début in a Europa League tie against FK Vetra
coming on as a 78th minute substitute for Zoltan Gera
. Fulham won the match 3–0, winning the tie 6–0 on aggregate. He played regularly throughout the season under Roy Hodgson
, especially in the Europa League.
and by February 2011 he opted to move on loan to Sheffield United
for the remainder of the season. Whilst at Bramall Lane
he scored his first goal in English football, in a 2-0 win over Leeds United. With the Blades struggling he could not help to prevent them from being relegated at the end of the season and returned to Craven Cottage having played thirteen times for the Yorkshire club.
in a Euro 2008 qualifying match against Malta
which Norway won 4–0. He provided three assists in the game which saw his brother John Arne Riise
score a goal. Riise earned his first goal for Norway in another qualifying match against Bosnia and Herzegovina
. Norway won 2–0, with Riise scoring the second goal of the game.
Ålesund
is a town and municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the traditional district of Sunnmøre, and the center of the Ålesund Region. It is a sea port, and is noted for its unique concentration of Art Nouveau architecture....
) is a Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
professional footballer. He plays his club football for Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
. He plays either a central midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
or a right winger having joined Fulham in July 2009 from Norwegian club Lillestrøm, and is the brother of his Fulham team-mate John Arne Riise
John Arne Riise
John Arne Semundseth Riise is a Norwegian footballer who currently plays as a left wing-back for Fulham and the Norwegian national team. Riise spent seven years playing for Premier League side Liverpool before moving to Roma in 2008...
.
Aalesund
Early in his career, Riise was linked with several clubs, including Manchester CityManchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
and Cardiff City
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
, but deals failed to materialize. Riise threatened to retire after the Cardiff deal fell through due to complications with Aalesund, his club at the time, stating "I don't understand what Aalesund want from me. I almost want to quit football because it's not fun anymore".
Standard Liège
In January 2003, Riise signed a three-year deal with Standard LiègeStandard Liège
Royal Standard de Liège, commonly referred to as Standard Liège Royal Standard de Liège, commonly referred to as Standard Liège Royal Standard de Liège, commonly referred to as Standard Liège (Dutch: Standard Luik [], German: Standard Lüttich , is a Belgian football club from the city of Liège....
, after impressing on a trial that included two reserve team
Reserve team
Large professional sports clubs often have far more players under contract than could possibly play in a match. As a result, many of these clubs create second teams composed of players who need playing time, but have little hope of playing on the first team. The players on this second team are...
appearances. He became teammates with fellow Norwegian Ole Martin Årst
Ole Martin Årst
Ole Martin Årst is a Norwegian footballer who currently plays as a striker for IK Start of the Norwegian Premier League.-Club career:...
.
Brussels
After playing only 17 matches for Standard Liège, he was loanLoan (football)
In sports, a loan involves a particular player being allowed to temporarily play for a club other than the one he is currently contracted to. Loan deals may last from a few weeks to all season-long....
ed out to Brussels. When his contract expired, Brussels would have a call option
Call option
A call option, often simply labeled a "call", is a financial contract between two parties, the buyer and the seller of this type of option. The buyer of the call option has the right, but not the obligation to buy an agreed quantity of a particular commodity or financial instrument from the seller...
on him. However, there were transfer talks between Brussels and Brann, according to Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad
Het Nieuwsblad
Het Nieuwsblad is a Belgian newspaper that mainly focusses on "a broad view" regarding politics, culture, economics, lifestyle, society and sports.-Mission statement:...
.
Lillestrøm
Riise returned to Norway with Lillestrøm in the summer of 2005, where he signed a three-and-a-half-year deal. He made his debut for Lillestrøm on 3 July against Molde.Fulham
In July 2009, Norwegian media reported that Riise was to join international team-mates Brede HangelandBrede Hangeland
Brede Paulsen Hangeland is a Norwegian footballer who plays for Fulham in the Premier League and the Norwegian national team, of which he is the captain. The son of a Norwegian oil company worker, Hangeland was born in Houston, Texas during his parents' two-year spell in the United States, but...
and Erik Nevland
Erik Nevland
Erik Nevland is a Norwegian football forward who currently plays for Viking. He has eight caps for Norway, and 22 caps at U-21 level....
at Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
, for a fee believed to be around £2 million. Riise subsequently signed a three-year deal with for an undisclosed fee.
He made his Fulham début in a Europa League tie against FK Vetra
FK Vetra
FK Vėtra was a Lithuanian football team from the capital city of Vilnius.- History :The club was founded in 1997 and was initially based in Rūdiškės, a settlement in Vilnius district, and moved in 2003 to Vilnius city with the purchase of its own stadium....
coming on as a 78th minute substitute for Zoltan Gera
Zoltán Gera
Zoltán Gera is a Hungarian footballer who currently plays for West Bromwich Albion. He usually plays as an attacking midfielder, though he has also played on both the right and left wings throughout his career...
. Fulham won the match 3–0, winning the tie 6–0 on aggregate. He played regularly throughout the season under Roy Hodgson
Roy Hodgson
Roy Hodgson is a former English footballer and current head coach of West Bromwich Albion.Hodgson, who has managed sixteen different teams in eight countries, guided the Switzerland national team to the last 16 of the 1994 World Cup and qualification for Euro 1996; Switzerland had not qualified...
, especially in the Europa League.
On Loan to Sheffield United
The following season however he found first team football much harder to come by under new boss Mark HughesMark Hughes
Leslie Mark Hughes, OBE , is a former Welsh international footballer. As an international footballer, he made 72 appearances and scored 16 goals....
and by February 2011 he opted to move on loan to Sheffield United
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
for the remainder of the season. Whilst at Bramall Lane
Bramall Lane
-Cricket at the Lane:Bramall Lane opened as a cricket ground in 1855, having been leased by Michael Ellison from the Duke of Norfolk at an annual rent of £70. The site was then away from the town's industrial area, and relatively free from smoke. It was built to host the matches of local cricket...
he scored his first goal in English football, in a 2-0 win over Leeds United. With the Blades struggling he could not help to prevent them from being relegated at the end of the season and returned to Craven Cottage having played thirteen times for the Yorkshire club.
Career statistics
| Season | Club | Division | League | Cup | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| 2005 2005 in Norwegian football Results from Norwegian football in 2005.-Norwegian Premier League :Vålerenga won the 2005 Premier League, while Aalesunds FK and FK Bodø/Glimt were relegated. Molde FK had to play two qualification matches against number Moss in the first division Results from Norwegian football in 2005.-Norwegian... |
Lillestrøm | Tippeligaen Tippeligaen Tippeligaen is a Norwegian professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Norwegian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. The league is also unofficially known under its neutral name Eliteserien , although the name has never been official... |
13 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| 2006 2006 in Norwegian football The 2006 season is the 101. season of competitive football in Norway.*Tippeligaen 2006 *Adeccoligaen 2006 *Norwegian Football Cup 2006*Toppserien 2006 -Men's national team:... |
Tippeligaen Tippeligaen Tippeligaen is a Norwegian professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Norwegian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. The league is also unofficially known under its neutral name Eliteserien , although the name has never been official... |
25 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 28 | 2 | |
| 2007 2007 in Norwegian football The 2007 season is the 102. season of competitive football in Norway.* Tippeligaen 2007 * Adeccoligaen 2007 * Norwegian Football Cup 2007* Toppserien 2007 -Men's national team:... |
Tippeligaen Tippeligaen Tippeligaen is a Norwegian professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Norwegian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. The league is also unofficially known under its neutral name Eliteserien , although the name has never been official... |
24 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 31 | 4 | |
| 2008 2008 in Norwegian football The 2008-season is the 103. season of competitive football in Norway.*Tippeligaen 2008 *Adeccoligaen 2008 *Norwegian Football Cup 2008*Toppserien 2008 -Men's national team:... |
Tippeligaen Tippeligaen Tippeligaen is a Norwegian professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Norwegian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. The league is also unofficially known under its neutral name Eliteserien , although the name has never been official... |
9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 0 | |
| 2009 2009 in Norwegian football The 2009-season is the 104. season of competitive football in Norway.*2009 Tippeligaen *2009 Adeccoligaen *2009 Norwegian Football Cup*2009 Toppserien -Men's national team:... |
Tippeligaen Tippeligaen Tippeligaen is a Norwegian professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Norwegian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. The league is also unofficially known under its neutral name Eliteserien , although the name has never been official... |
15 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 17 | 6 | |
| 2009–10 | Fulham Fulham F.C. Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season... |
Premier League | 12 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| 2010–11 2010–11 Premier League The 2010–11 Premier League was the 19th season of the Premier League since its establishment in 1992. The 2010–11 fixtures were released on 17 June 2010 at 09:00 BST. The season began on 14 August 2010, and ended on 22 May 2011... |
Premier League | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2011–12 2011–12 Premier League The 2011–12 Premier League is the twentieth season of the Premier League since its establishment in 1992. The 2011–12 fixtures were announced on 17 June 2011 at 9:00 BST. The season began on 13 August 2011 and is due to end on 13 May 2012... |
Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2010–11 2010–11 Football League Championship The 2010–11 Football League Championship was the seventh season of the league under its current name and nineteenth season under its current league division format... |
Sheffield United Sheffield United F.C. Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production... |
The Championship Football League Championship The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League... |
13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 1 |
| 2011–12 2011–12 Football League Championship The 2011–12 Football League Championship is the eighth season of the league under its current title and nineteenth season under its current league division format.... |
Portsmouth Portsmouth F.C. Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from... |
The Championship Football League Championship The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League... |
2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Career Total | 116 | 11 | 20 | 2 | 136 | 13 | ||
International career
He earned his first cap for NorwayNorway national football team
The Norway national football team represents Norway in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of Norway, the governing body for football in Norway. Norway's home ground is Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo and their head coach is Egil Olsen...
in a Euro 2008 qualifying match against Malta
Malta national football team
The Malta national football team is the national football team of Malta and is controlled by the Malta Football Association. Malta played its first international game in February 1957, and began competing for qualification to major tournaments in 1962. The side's first competitive victory came in...
which Norway won 4–0. He provided three assists in the game which saw his brother John Arne Riise
John Arne Riise
John Arne Semundseth Riise is a Norwegian footballer who currently plays as a left wing-back for Fulham and the Norwegian national team. Riise spent seven years playing for Premier League side Liverpool before moving to Roma in 2008...
score a goal. Riise earned his first goal for Norway in another qualifying match against Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team
The Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team is the national football team of Bosnia and Herzegovina, governed by the Football Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina...
. Norway won 2–0, with Riise scoring the second goal of the game.
International goals
- Scores and results list. Norway's goal tally first.
# Date Venue Opponent Result Competition Scored 1. 17 October 2007 Koševo Stadium Asim Ferhatovic Hase StadiumAsim Ferhatović Hase Stadium is a stadium owned by the city of Sarajevo. It is also known as Koševo Stadium and formerly Olympic Stadium. Koševo Stadium is located in the Koševo neighborhood of Sarajevo and it is used mostly by FK Sarajevo....
, SarajevoSarajevoSarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
2–0 UEFA Euro 2008 qualification 1