In light of the recent revelations regarding John-Arne Riise's payslip, I really feel for the guy. Recent events may have uncovered some of the external factors which have been hampering his performances.

I'm not referring to the leaked payslip specifically, so much as revelations that the Liverpool star was  declared bankrupt  in March over an unpaid debt of £100,000.

It all stems from a dispute with his former agent, with whom he severed ties acrimoniously in 2005. He may be wealthy, but it has not shielded him from feeling the fallout to this day, as his troubles attest.

'Riise may be wealthy, but it has not shielded him from feeling the fallout to this day'


Worse still, this is apparently a cross-border dispute, originating in Norway, where sums of £3million and charges of fraud are being investigated.

At the heart of the matter is the fact that Riise might not even have known all this! I cannot imagine how frightening it would have been to have all this revealed, along with the threat of having your assets seized by a government-appointed receiver!

I hope Riise has got a capable team of lawyers fighting his battle on his behalf, and like most Liverpool fans, pray that he clears his name quickly, so he can focus on bursting the net with those thunderous drives of his.