John Arne Riise: Mo Salah’s Explosive Interview Has Created Huge Pressure at Liverpool, it Looks Like He Wants Out

Riise also revealed that Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo would be a perfect replacement for Salah and previewed former club Roma’s trip to Celtic Park this week, praising the unique atmosphere that awaits Gaperini’s team in Glasgow. 

Liverpool

Has Mo Salah declared war on Liverpool? What did you make of Mo Salah’s extraordinary comments after Leeds draw that “he’s been thrown under the bus” and that “someone doesn’t want me at the club”?

I was surprised because he’s been so quiet for so long. He hardly ever speaks to the press, when he does, his comments carry significant weight. I think it’s the wrong time, and I think it’s the wrong place to do it, to be fair. 

One thing I really was surprised by was that he said something about how he’s been promised so many things from the club. But the only thing that a club can’t promise is playing time.

Top performances are the only thing that guarantees you time on the pitch. If you don’t perform over time, then, you can’t promise a player you’re going to play every game. That’s impossible. And Mo Salah has not performed to the expected level so far this season. So, the manager decided to put him on the bench, which I think was fair. It also shows the other players that if you don’t perform, you don’t play. I think that’s a big statement from the manager. 

But I think all the things he said should have been said behind closed doors; in the manager’s office, with the CEO, or whoever you’re going to talk to. It’s the wrong timing and I think it’s a little disrespectful to the manager, to the club and to his teammates because it adds scrutiny around the club.

There are already problems at Liverpool, so this is the last thing they need to be spending resources on. I didn’t see it coming, but at the same time, Mo has been outspoken in the past. When he does choose to speak, you know it’ll be important. 

I’m surprised by the timing too, because now he’s going to the African Cup of Nations. So the speculation starts about whether he’ll even come back to the club, and if he’ll be sold in January. 

Are Liverpool players enjoying themselves?

No, they don’t look like they’re enjoying themselves. When things go against you, you get tested physically and mentally, individually and as a team. And when I think about it now, when things go against you, and when you concede goals in the last minute and all that kind of stuff, it’s horrible for players.

But you have to remember at the beginning of the season, I think it was four or five times Liverpool scored in injury time to get a win or a goal. People looked at that and praised their mentality. 

Now when it goes the other way, I think the players are a bit shocked that the matches are going against them late on.

I do think they still enjoy their job, and love the club, but I think people read a lot into their body language when they’re struggling. For now, I’m excited to see how they are going to turn things around this season.

At the moment, it looks more like everything that can go wrong, does go wrong. Even if they score late, they concede even later, and they make mistakes.

Is it a disappointing way for Salah to behave as such a senior player and is there a danger that he could be doing a Ronaldo and burning his club legacy with this type of behaviour? 

Well, he hasn’t made it easy for himself to stay now, to be honest. When you say these things about the manager and the club, it’s huge. It creates intense pressure in the team, and it’s going to be awkward now. 

The manager is not going to want to pick a player who isn’t acting as if he’s part of the team. I think he just wants to prove that he’s not happy. But he could have done it in other ways than that. And I do hope we see him after January at the club. 

It feels like this is one of the first steps to trying to get the manager to either play him again, or to let him move away. It’s very strange after such long negotiations about his new contract. Then he signed, and played every game, but he hasn’t been at his best. He gets benched for three games and suddenly it all changes.

In football, performance is the only thing that gives you a starting place. Yes, he’s done incredible things for Liverpool. He’s one of the best of all time for Liverpool. 

But that doesn’t mean that you’re going to play every single game if you don’t perform. It’s that simple. 

Did you expect Liverpool to win from 3-2 against Leeds?

Unfortunately that is the problem. If we were 1-0 up last season I’d think great, we’ll win. At 3-2 now with five minutes left, I’m worried. We’re still conceding, and sometimes it’s three goals or more in a game. There are individual errors, but errors as a team too. So when we scored, I thought, ‘Finally!’ but in my mind I knew it was far from game over.

Then Leeds got two corners, and I was dreading it. If I’m feeling that as a supporter, then I know the players will be feeling it too. They must be nervous on the pitch, they must have concerns. Somehow they need to get rid of that bad feeling.

Last season, everyone was scared of us. They need to get that fear factor back. That energy, that power, that relentless sprinting. They need to get back to controlling games, because right now opponents know they can hurt us. 

We’re conceding too many goals, and it’s not just a defender’s mistake, it’s the whole team. We need to be a strong defensive unit again, and build from that.

Was signing Wirtz a mistake? How long does he have left to prove his worth?

No, I don’t think it was a mistake, because you see him playing well in certain games and especially for Germany as well. I think he needs more time to adapt to the English game and obviously I think the pressure has come from the outside because of the price tag and everything. 

But we’ve seen glimpses of what he can do and I’m sure we’re going to see more of it during the season. He’s a hard-working player but he needs to adapt more quickly to English football, and the physical side of things.

Obviously he’s going to get the season to prove how good he is and what he can do for the club. But I understand why people are asking if it was a bad signing or a waste of money, because he hasn’t performed as people expected when you look at his price tag, and what he’s done for Germany and his former club, Bayer Leverkusen. 

But he’s an amazing player and I hope that we find the right position for him and we can use him the right way.

Real Madrid are reportedly no longer keen on Ibrahima Konate – would you offer him fresh terms to stay at Liverpool?

The thing with Konate is that he can have unbelievable games and he can have games where he looks like he’s not there. 

I think it’s unlikely he signs a new deal, so the club will already be looking for central defenders for the next two windows.

If he signs on, I think they probably only need one more defender, but if he leaves, then I’d expect they’d move for two from whomever is on their shortlist. But for Konate, he knows Slot’s system, he knows the club and the team, so I would give him a new contract. I still want one more CB joining the club so that there is competition to raise everyone’s level that little bit more.

Is Borussia Dortmund captain Nico Schlotterbeck perhaps the best long-term replacement for Virgil van Dijk given his talent and leadership qualities?

Yeah. I like him, and he might have the right mentality. I’d be hoping that Virgil van Dijk has one or two more years left in him, so I think if he arrived he would not be a straight replacement right away. I don’t see Van Dijk stopping just yet.

But top clubs are always looking for more players to step in, and increase competition for places. He’s someone who could come in and push more than just Vrigl, and maybe also take a starting position at the back.

Clubs like Liverpool, United, City, they are constantly looking for new players. Even if you have the best in the world in one position you always have to look for the next player who is coming through. Schlotterbeck could be on the list for Liverpool, and they might move for him a year or so early so that they don’t lose a good player to another team.

When I was at Liverpool, one of the hardest things was that you always knew that you will always be someone the club is thinking about replacing and thinking about getting competition for. I’m not surprised that they’re looking at Schlotterbeck.

Is Antoine Semenyo perfect for Liverpool?

I mean he’s on fire and he’s a tricky player to play against and he would suit Liverpool. Obviously we like to play with wingers taking on players and beating them. We have Cody Gakpo doing that at the moment, but adding Semenyo to that would be perfect.

He’s a great type of player that we need to sign if something happens with Salah. But even if Salah stays, we are lacking that typical wide winger at the moment. Regardless of Salah’s future, he’s absolutely a player we should be looking to sign in January if we can. 

Milos Kerkez has struggled since joining Liverpool. What advice would you give him to get his performance levels higher?

He took the No. 6 because I used to wear it, and so I texted him a few times after his move. I wished him well and all that kind of thing. You know, he’s a very aggressive player that hasn’t really shown his best yet. The one thing I see is that everything with him happens at 100 miles an hour. Sprinting, running, everything is always at a high tempo. 

I think that sometimes he can just maybe relax his playing style. I know that is who he is, but it looks so stressful sometimes. You can tell that he really wants to do well all the time, which is good. But sometimes he can maybe take more time.

He’s been good in some games, others he’s struggled in. But I expect him to be fine because he knows the English game, and hopefully he will be more of an attacking threat also in the upcoming games. 

How did you feel when you were denied your 350th game by Rafa Benitez?

To be honest, it’s just a number, but when they told me I was going to be leaving the club, I was disappointed. To have got there, even with a couple of substitute appearances, it would have been an awesome number.

It was disappointing, but at the same time, it shows just how brutal and ruthless life is in the Premier League. You don’t get things for free. They always have to be earned and you have to work for it. Rafa Benitez made that decision and he stood his ground. He did what he thought was right for the club, and I respect him for that. But yeah, I was definitely disappointed.

He made a mistake, and the reason I think that is because I had one year left of my contract. He could have just told me he was signing Antonio Dossena and that I needed to step up because there would now be more competition. I’m sure I could have outperformed Dossena for my last season, so I think he made a mistake.

Is the match at Internazionale a must-win for Liverpool this week?

I’m not quite sure that it’s a must-win, but it’s definitely getting more and more important as the season gets more difficult.

It would be a potentially huge match to win, because it’s a tough opponent and it’s the Champions League. For everything that is going on around the club now, with Mo Salah and the poor form, I think it could be transformative.

It could give the club a huge boost in self-belief, and it could overhaul a negative feeling around the club. I think the club wants and needs the performances to speak for themselves now. There’s just so much noise around the club and everything gets a little quieter when you’re winning football matches. Winning against Inter would be perfect.

Who is more likely to manage Liverpool in the future, Steven Gerrard or Xabi Alonso?

I would have said Xabi Alonso before he signed for Real Madrid, but now, because he’s at Madrid, I think Gerrard is likely to beat him to it.

I’m not sure Gerrard has totally proven himself as a manager, but that doesn’t mean he’s not going to be a great manager. I think he’s looking to get back into the swing of things now. Obviously he was very close to going back to Rangers recently. 

I think he’s looking to take things step by step. Xabi Alonso is at Real Madrid, but if things don’t work out for him in Spain, Liverpool is a massive job.

I’m sure though, like me, the fans will want to see Steve G in the dugout at Anfield at one point in his career.

What is the best goal you scored for Liverpool?

The most important one was against Manchester United, 2001. 

I scored a free kick past Fabien Barthez, I made a great connection with the ball, and we won 3-1. It really kickstarted my career, and I think it was my best. Because of what it did for my career, I think it was the most important goal too.

Monaco

Given they could use another striker in their squad, did Arsenal make a mistake selling Mika Biereth?

You can definitely make that case, but at the same time, it’s hard to really worry. Arsenal are top of the league and they’re going well. 

They’re strong up front too, with plenty of players at the moment. They have a deep squad. But I think when a club lets a player go, it’s for a reason. They have a plan behind it. 

But while he’s done well at Monaco so far, you can never be sure that success at one club would translate to the same thing somewhere else. Arsenal won’t be able to watch on and regret. It was the right move for the player and the club at the time. I do think that right now, though, that Arsenal should be looking for another striker in January.

Roma

What do you think of Gasperini’s new Roma? Will they be able to reach the Champions League?

I think they had a good start.  Obviously they lost against Napoli in their last game at the weekend, which was a little setback. But yeah, I’m quite confident that Roma can get into the  top four, and stay. I think that is a big target for them, to get into the top four and in the Champions League. I’ve been impressed with their start so far and I hope they can keep it going. 

Tsimikas and Angelino currently play on your flank. Are they players you like?

I want to be honest, I wasn’t the biggest fan of Tsimikas at Liverpool. I thought it was good he moved on to a new challenge, because I wasn’t quite convinced he would step up tp the level needed at Liverpool.

He’s a good player, though, of course, but it just didn’t happen for him at Liverpool and it was time to move on.

I like both the players, but I hope they can kick on at Roma, like I hope Kerkez can kick on at Liverpool. They need to show they are worth starting at Roma and prove their worth.

Roma are on the hunt for a striker in January. There’s talk of the futures of Dybala and Ferguson (Brighton striker). Would you keep them?

It’s hard with Dybala, because he’s a great player, and there’s a lot of potential when it comes to Ferguson, but big clubs are always looking for new players, and if you don’t perform over a longer time, they’re looking for a replacement. 

I’m not quite sure about Ferguson yet because I haven’t seen enough of him, but he hasn’t been great. Dybala, though, is so settled there. I’m not sure if he’s gonna go or not. I would like him to stay.

But I do think Roma should look for replacements to at least challenge them, to make them perform better with more competition for places. If they aren’t able to perform as needed over the long term, though, they will have to leave.

Evan Ferguson has just one goal at AS Roma, do you think he will be sent back to England this winter and would he suit one of your former clubs such as Fulham?

I think that would be an interesting situation. If Evan decides to leave Roma, then he should go somewhere where he will be challenged, but where he is also more likely to get time on the pitch. 

He needs to take care here, because he’s a good player, and Fulham could be the type of place he will thrive at. He might benefit at Fulham, because they’re a family club, and players get looked after.

The fans would give him time. So it could be a very good move for him if that’s a possibility because of the type of club that Fulham is. 

Celtic vs Roma

What will Roma take from Rangers clash heading into game vs Celtic?

Well, playing Rangers is a different approach to the game than the way Celtic play. There’s more pressure when you face Celtic, it’s always intense, and the crowd are so passionate.

Roma will come there and play a different style than Celtic are used to. So I’m not sure I can take that much from the Rangers game, because it’s such high-tempo game against Celtic. But I’m quite confident that Roma can play a great game and have a good result against them. 

But one thing is for sure, the atmosphere at Celtic is insane. I mean incredible. That could be a factor for Roma to handle that kind of situation because the Stadio Olimpico is a big stadium with a running track separating the crowd from the pitch. Celtic is more closed in, so that can be a massive factor if the fans really get on top of them.

From your playing career, how would a team changing manager affect preparation?

I remember when Benitez came in at Liverpool, and Ranieri at Roma. You basically start over again, because the new manager comes in and always has his own ideas. They always want to play their own way.

I’ve been at clubs where I was a regular starter, and then a new manager comes in, and I wonder, maybe he doesn’t rate me. But at the same time, it gives the whole team a new energy, because everyone wants to perform better to show the manager that you should be starting.

When you change managers, it gives a boost to the players, to training, and to games. It doesn’t suddenly turn you into better players from day one, but a new manager will help improve energy and commitment.

But it’s also a scary moment, because you wonder if you’re going to lose your place in the team, or even at the club itself.

You played at Celtic Park with Liverpool. What kind of atmosphere can the Roma players expect and how did Celtic compare to Anfield on European nights? 

Celtic is one of the best games I played in because of the atmosphere and the passion the fans are showing, helping the team. What I do love about Anfield and at Celtic is the European nights. I think that they are quite special in both places. Obviously my favorite place is Anfield. I’d been playing there for many years, but when I see Celtic, the games for European nights on TV, and I played there myself, it’s unbelievable. 

So I won’t compare them, but I will say that Celtic on a European night is one of the best games in the world to play in. It’s an unbelievable atmosphere, and the noise level is ridiculous. 

Roma have been decent on the road in Europe. Do you expect them to make it 6 points from 6 in Glasgow in the Europa League this year? 

Oh, I do think so. I think Roma’s been on a good run so far, at home in the Italian League. 

The one thing I would say could be tough is whether they can handle that style of play that Celtic have, as well as the passionate fans in the stadium. All those kinds of the things, because it’s going to be passionate and I know from experience that Celtic players are going to go out from the first whistle to just run over you, and try to create chances, to get the fans behind them and that could be intimidating if you don’t know how to react to that. 

But that’s the only thing that I would be concerned about. Apart from that, I’m confident that Roma can get the win. 

Evan Ferguson has been linked to Celtic throughout 2025 and talk of Roma possibly cutting loan short – would he be a good fit in Scotland?

It’s hard for players coming from another country to go to another country to play well straight away. He’s not been scoring goals, and he’s struggling at Roma at the moment. Maybe he would enjoy going to Celtic. I’m not sure. But at the moment he hasn’t had a great time so far at Roma. 

So I won’t be surprised if he’s looking to maybe change the scenario and get another start somewhere else. 

It’s a shame because when he broke onto the scene everyone was so excited by him. People were saying that he’s the next Harry Kane, but he’s had some rotten luck with injuries and hasn’t been able to find any rhythm in his game for the last couple of seasons. 

Fulham

Would defeat at Burnley suggest Fulham are now in a relegation battle?

I saw the game against Manchester City, and it was a crazy, crazy game. When they were down and out, I thought OK, this could turn into a difficult season, a tough year. But then it came back to 5-4, and I think that really summed up what we can expect from Fulham this year.

For a while, they’ve been hot and cold, playing brilliantly sometimes and then losing unexpectedly. Fulham is an amazing club but they always seem to have the same kind of season. You know, they have some good moments, some bad moments, and they always end up in the same area in the table

But at the moment, now with another loss against Crystal Palace, and the game against Burnley to come, it does have the slight hint of a relegation battle to come. But overall, I think Fulham are too good to go down, and too good to be sucked into a relegation battle. 

Norwegian Players

How far can Erling Haaland take Norway this summer?

I think we’ve got France, Senegal and someone else who hasn’t qualified yet. That’s a tough group, but that’s what I want for us. I want us to go to the World Cup and take on the best teams. Players want to be challenged, but we have every chance to do well. 

There’s maybe one concern. Offensively, we are awesome. I mean, we are brilliant. But we need to work out how to defend better and protect ourselves against the very best teams. That’s where I’m a bit unsure, but I’m quite sure we’ll get through the group stages. After that, who knows?

Jorgen Strand Larsen has been linked with a January exit at Wolves. Which Premier League side needs him most?

I think Strand Larsen is good enough for a move to a bigger team, but football doesn’t always work as you want. He seemed close to a move to Newcastle in the summer, but it didn’t happen.

He’s still with Wolves and they’re really struggling. That isn’t helping his form at all, and it’s far from certain that Newcastle or another big club will come back in for him.

He has the quality to succeed, that’s clear, but this season is now time for him and his team-mates to focus on Wolves and winning games for them. It could be a really tough season. 

He could still move in January, it’s not impossible. However, he signed a new contract so I think he’ll be likely to see out the season there. He committed to the club and so he should stay. The whole team needs to step up and start winning, but it doesn’t look good.

After being linked with an exit at Atletico Madrid, would Alexander Sorloth be the kind of experienced striker Manchester United need to partner with Benjamin Sesko?

I think Sorloth has done extremely well this year, as well as last year, and he’s done well for Norway too. I’m quite sure that his style of play, his physique, the way he is in the box, his strength would suit Manchester United perfectly, to be fair. 

So I do hope he gets a great club if he decides to leave in the winter or in the summer, because I think Sorloth is a great player and will be a good target for Manchester United.

He’s played in the Premier League before, with Crystal Palace, so he knows what it takes, and his game is suited to it. If it’s United or somewhere else, he should be looking at a Premier League return.

What can Manchester City fans expect from Sverre Nypan after his loan spell at Middlesbrough?

Oh, he’s a great player, but I think the step from Rosenborg to Manchester City is big. Obviously, Middlesbrough is a step-up too.

It’s a big club in its own right, and he’s done well so far. But he’s a great player. He’s got the technique, good vision, and he’s a smart player. He would suit the style of Pep’s football perfectly. 

But whether he’s good enough or has the right physique for the very top, I’m not quite sure yet. I think also that’s why they sent him on loan to Boro, to see how he handles that kind of physical side of the game. But obviously he’s a good player, but I’m still not quite sure how good he will be for Man City because he needs to grow and, and get to a higher level. 

But he’s a young player so he’ s going to have a great career in front of him. Hopefully he will be successful at Man City. 

Do you think Martin Odegaard is underrated by most football fans?

He is definitely underrated, but I think that’s what happens when you’re a captain. A couple of seasons ago he was scoring goals and providing assists, and you get that pressure on you to repeat those numbers. Then if you don’t reach that level, every match, you get criticised.

But people don’t realize how good he is sometimes. He’s an amazing player, amazing person, great captain. I can just see what he’s done for Norway and he’s doing for Norway, his teammates and the team here. 

But also all of the things he does on the pitch don’t get noted. How much he runs, how much he is there, how much he tells his teammates what to do. Yes, I think he’s underrated. Even though people love him and know he’s a great player, I think he should get more praise. 

I sometimes see Arsenal fans on social media and they’re often negative about him, and I don’t get it, because he’s an amazing  player.

Some have suggested he is replaced as captain at Arsenal, what do you make of that?

I wouldn’t recommend that change, because I know for a fact that he’s loved by his team as the captain. 

I think Declan Rice is a perfect example of what a captain should be, as well as the type of player he is on the pitch. But not every player with leadership qualities needs the armband. Every team needs more than one leader, more than one player who could be captain.

Martin Odegaard is a great captain, but I’m sure he talks to Declan Rice and others in the team about what they can contribute.

Is there a Norwegian player you would tip as the next PL star, and who should they join?

Maybe I think it’s hard because there’s so many young great players who are coming up in Norway and playing abroad already.

I think Antonio Nusa is one of the top players for the national team at the moment. But does he suit the English style? I don’t know, but I know there’s a lot of Norwegian players coming up now. If I had to pick one player to get a move to the Premier League soon, I’d say that Nusa is the man.

He needs to play in a team that has wingers and is set up so he can take on defenders, one on one. I would obviously like to see him at Liverpool, because he’s a great player. But he would suit Manchester City too.

He’s destined to be at a bigger team than he’s already at, and hopefully that’s in the Premier League. 

You hold the record as being the Norwegian with the most PL appearances – 321. Will Erling Haaland break that or do you think he will want to test himself in another top European league in the future? 

I’m quite sure he’s gonna beat all the records that are there to beat. I think he will beat my appearance records quite easily because I think he has decided to target some records in the Premier League. When it comes to goals, I think he wants to beat Alan Shearer’s record for most Premier League goals. 

I know obviously he signed a nine-and-a-half-year deal with Man City. So if he’s gonna play for another nine years he’s going to clean up on all the records in front of him.

Sindre Walle Egeli is another Norwegian thriving in the Championship. Is he destined to play at a higher level? 

Yeah, obviously. The Championship is a tough place to be in, and he’s doing a good job of showing how many talented Norwegian players we have.

There’s also Aune Heggebo at West Brom, too. They’ve both taken sensible decisions, to go to the Championship to test themselves. Once they’ve proven they can cut it, they can then take it to the next level, the Premier League. I think that is the right move for them both.

I’m convinced Heggebo’s style will work in the Premier League. I loved Heggebo when he was at Brann in Norway. He has a great physique and a great workrate, and those are two essentials if you want to succeed in England. I’m excited to see how far they can go.

How do you think Thelo Aasgaard has adapted to life at Rangers? 

He scored four goals for Norway a few months ago, and he’s a great player. I like his style of play. I think he’s a shy person, but I think he can get better from here. I’m not sure just how good he will eventually be.

He needs to make sure that he’s playing every game at Rangers to improve. I love his style, I think he’s got potential, he’s great on the ball, and he now needs to take more responsibility on the pitch.

Were you surprised that Celtic didn’t make more of a play for Kjetil Knutsen and is it only a matter of time before he leaves Bodo for a giant? 

There are rumours that he was going to sign a new deal with Bodo/Glimt to stay there for another season or two, maybe longer. 

That’s great news for the club, because I was quite sure that he would be leaving a year ago, because there were so many rumours that other clubs wanted him. But now, with the club in the Champions League and going well, I think he wants to continue down that road until he gets a really compelling offer.

I think it’ll take a lot to prise him away from Bodo because they’re in a good place, and they’re in Europe. But just like with players, it’s the same for managers – if the right club and the right offer comes in, then obviously they will consider moving.

Rangers and Sunderland linked to Jens Hjertø-Dahl – would that be a wise move for both?

He’s a young talented player. A potentially great player. I actually have seen him a few times and read about him a little bit. 

I will always suggest younger players to go step by step in their career, and not go from a small club to the biggest club in the world because you need steps to other clubs in between. You need to learn your trade and go up the ladder. I’m not saying Sunderland and Rangers are small clubs, far from it. But it could be the first step in his career, and he could definitely find even bigger sides in a few years.

First, he’ll need to prove that he’s good enough to play at that level, and then test himself further up. But I think it’s harder to manage your career if you go straight to the very biggest clubs. A move to Rangers or Sunderland would definitely make sense for now.

Is the Scandinavian market full of untapped gems and players?

Yeah, I think in Scandinavia, obviously the Premier League is the big dream. But like you said, every player wants to move abroad and take a step by step to bigger challenges.

The Championship is one option, but so is Scotland. Some Norwegians are now starting to go to Germany, France and Austria to get that first step before they head to the Premier League. They know they need to prove themselves. I’ve always told players that Scotland is a good place to go, especially now there are clubs who are able to compete with Rangers and Celtic. It’s more even than it was in the past.

I’ve always said if you can go to a Scottish club to play, then do, because it’s a great experience with some wonderful atmospheres. It’s a great place to test yourself physically.

Championship

Can anyone catch Coventry and do you expect to see more Championship clubs shopping in the Norwegian market?

Not by looks of it, no. I think what Frank Lampard has done has been incredible. I remember I saw when he took charge of Coventry his first speech to the team. The way he spoke to the players was brilliant.

The players love him, the fans love him. You can see that during and after the game. He’s in a good place as a manager, and they look like a strong team. I’m quite sure they’re going to go all the way this season.

I think Norwegian players would love to come to England. Obviously the dream for Norwegian players is the Premier League, for most of them at least. I think the Championship can be a great first move. 

It’s a tough league, with big clubs. There’s more money, and it’s more professional now. The move up from the Championship to the Premier League is big, but it’s doable. For some Norwegians, a move to the Championship is a perfect step. It’s the right way to get to the Premier League for some players.

Ex-Teammates

Do you think Damien Duff will manage in the Premier League in the future?

I love Damien Duff. He was a great player, he’s a really funny guy too. He knows football. He knows the game intimately. He’s very passionate, a smart player and a smart person.

I’ve got no doubt he could move up the football pyramid to a bigger club and do well. I think in time he could be one of the top managers in the Premier League. Perhaps he will go to the Championship first, but I think he’s ready.

There’s so much competition for these jobs, with managers outside the game wanting to get back in, too. He needs the right job and the right contract, but I’m sure he’ll be stepping up to the Premier League eventually.

Premier League

Who is the best left-back in the Premier League?

It’s hard because I don’t see anyone being the obvious standout player to be the best in the world. Before, you had Ashley Cole, and it was just obvious he was the very best. I think now there’s a few good players. 

Cucurella at Chelsea has talent, Antonee Robison at Fulham too. Kerkez is good, even if he’s having a tough time right now. Andy Robertson isn’t playing so much at Liverpool, but he’s still one of the best.

You have Calafiori at Arsenal too. There are quite a few good ones, but there’s no player who’s out there on his own.

Who is the most underrated player in the league?

This might be strange to say, but I think Bruno Fernandes does not get enough credit, even though he’s captain at Manchester United.

He scores important goals, and he’s important to the club in other ways. I think he gets criticism because of his body language, how he seems on the pitch at times. I think he’s very important for the team, and I don’t think he gets enough praise for the job he’s doing and how good a player he is.

We know that Ruben Amorim isn’t worried about making big calls about getting rid of players, like Jadon Sancho or Marcus Rashford, so if he wasn’t getting what he wanted from Fernandes, we know he’d be out of the club already. 

He’s an amazing player, and he doesn’t get the recognition he deserves for what he does for the team.

Is there a club you almost joined that you regret missing out on?

It isn’t clear to me how close the move got to going ahead, but there was interest from Barcelona when I was at Liverpool. I’m not sure how far along it went, but it was great to hear from my agent that they were interested.

Obviously, in the end, nothing came of it, but I look back on it and think that having an iconic club like Barcelona on your CV would be pretty awesome.

I’m happy though. I have had two massive clubs, Liverpool and Roma, in my career, and I loved my time at Monaco and Fulham, so I have no regrets.

Do you enjoy seeing Manchester United struggle?

When I was playing for Liverpool, I wanted United to lose all their games, and we beat them all the time.

Looking from the outside now, as a fan, I still want Liverpool to beat them every time they play them, and I have so many friends who support United.

When they win, they all send me messages, but I never send them when Liverpool wins. But overall, I want United to do well because the league is better when they’re a strong team, and when they challenge.

I want them to push Liverpool, but never be better than them, if that makes sense. I don’t want them to win things, I don’t want them to be an awesome side, but I want them to be up there, near the top. Football needs Manchester United to be up there.

Do you think Liverpool will finish above Manchester United this season?

I’m quite sure Liverpool will finish higher than Manchester United. Even though I have to say I do want Manchester United up there again, because we need Manchester United up there fighting for Champions League spots and stuff. 

And I really want Amorim to do well because I think he’s had a hard time since he came to the club and he still is quite stubborn. But yeah, Liverpool is gonna finish above United, no question about that.

Who is the one player that you’ve expected more from this season?

I’d have to say that I expected more from Mo Salah. 

I know that he’s had Conor Bradley or Jeremie Frimpong behind him, and that’s not quite the same as Trent Alexander-Arnold helping out, but he spent so long negotiating a huge new contract.

When you sign a deal like that, I want to see more enjoyment on the pitch, more sharpness. I thought there would be a sense of relief and happiness, but we just haven’t seen that from Salah this season, at least not in many games.

When you’re that kind of player, and you get benched for three games in a row, it’s a sign that you haven’t matched what people expect of you. I think it’s really good that Arne Slot is showing the team that every player, no matter who, has to meet the required standards.

Champions League 

Who do you think will win the Champions League this season? 

It’s a hard question to answer. Because this season, there is no one candidate who looks like the clear favourite. There’s nobody I can go straight to and pick. 

There’s nobody obvious who can run away with it, it’s really tough to pick a winner.

Of course, there are a few contenders now. There’s Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona. I wouldn’t be shocked if any of them lift the trophy come the end of the season, but I don’t see an obvious favourite this year.

We’ll see Haaland vs Mbappe on Wednesday and we’ll see it at the World Cup. Those two are often in the conversation for the best player in the world – who is better and why? 

They’re both different kinds of players, I think. Kylian Mbappe is more involved in the game, whether it’s for Real Madrid or France.

Erling Haaland, especially for Manchester City, he does link up play, and he has improved his game in general, but he’s still there mainly to score goals, and he’s a machine. He’s a monster on the pitch. 

Mbappe is a great player, but I’m picking Haaland, my fellow Norwegian.

Poker

What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given about poker and what’s the one tip every poker player should know? 

Patience. I have no patience and that’s probably the best thing – to take my time. 

Really – patience. It’s a long game. You can’t rush it or you make mistakes, or you take risks you shouldn’t take. It’s best to wait for the right chance.