John Arne Riise admits he couldn't applaud Liverpool fans because of the change they made to his song

John Arne Riise quickly became a fan favourite after arriving at Liverpool in 2001, but the former full-back was disappointed by fans after an incident in 2006

John Arne Riise revealed he was unable to applaud Liverpool fans when they changed the lyrics of his song following Alan Smith's horrific leg injury. Riise, who was a crowd favourite during his seven-year spell at Anfield due to his goalscoring ability and dynamic runs down the left flank, was honoured by Reds fans with a song to the tune of 'Hey Baby'.

This came after he scored a stunning free kick against Manchester United in his debut season. However, the lyrics of the song were changed after Smith suffered a horrific injury in 2006: he broke his leg and dislocated his ankle while blocking a Riise free kick during a match between Manchester United and Liverpool at Anfield.

Speaking to Ladbrokes, Liverpool FC's official betting partner, the former Norwegian international admitted that the changes to his chant meant he could no longer hear it when Liverpool fans sang it.

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“As far as I remember, the Liverpool fans changed my song that day from 'I want to know how you scored that goal' to 'I want to know how you broke his leg'. I couldn't clap or thank the fans that day,” said the 43-year-old.

“Yes, of course there should be rivalries between teams, but at some point the person and the career are more important.”

Smith was out of action for seven months due to the gruesome injury, and Riise did not hold back his thoughts as he witnessed the injury on the field, saying: “When I went to Alan, [Smith] and saw his ankle just hanging there loosely. It was sickening.

“Nobody wants to see that on the pitch. I didn't want to thank the fans for singing that song after changing the lyrics like that. I couldn't and didn't want to thank them because it was very, very hard for Alan.”

After the game, Riise made it his mission to check on the former England star and send him his best wishes.

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He said: “I contacted Alan in the evening and sent him a few texts afterward just to see how his rehab was going, but nothing since.”

He backed up his concerns by saying: “People get hurt at games, it always happens. But since I was involved in this incident, I just wanted to make sure he was OK afterward.”

Riise, who ended his football career after leaving Liverpool in 2008 and played for various clubs such as Roma and Fulham, finally ended his career last year at the age of 43 after playing one game for Avaldsnes.