'I never experienced an excitement like at Anfield'
Every Liverpool supporter knows the stories about those famous European nights at Anfield, the ones where a unique atmosphere generated by a special stadium inspired men on the pitch to inconceivable feats.
Saint-Etienne ’77, Chelsea ’05, Borussia Dortmund ’16: fans lucky enough to have witnessed such fabled victories talk of evenings where foundations shook, world-class opponents wilted, and those in red grew.
Of course, even fewer people have had the good fortune to experience Anfield’s best as a player – and John Arne Riise is one of them.
The Norwegian, part of Rafael Benitez’s legendary Champions League-winning team, knows just how influential the Reds’ home ground can be when it comes to upsetting the odds in Europe.
And, speaking to Liverpoolfc.com ahead of Jürgen Klopp’s current crop facing Manchester City in their quarter-final first leg, Riise attempted to articulate exactly how it feels to take part in one of those momentous fixtures.
He explained: “It starts on the morning of the game - you’re feeling it.
“When you come to the ground on the bus from the hotel, you feel the fans, and then in the warm-up, something happens to your body; the adrenaline, the energy and the atmosphere.
“Standing in the tunnel touching the ‘This Is Anfield’ sign, then you go out for ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ you just feel it’s louder, it’s more compact, it’s dark [with] the floodlights.
“In 2005 against Chelsea, the second leg, I remember it to this day. I think the fourth official put up six minutes of injury time and I was so tired I couldn’t even walk almost, I thought: ‘It’s never going to happen’.
“But it gives you extra energy to play at Anfield, I never experienced that anywhere in the world apart from Anfield, that kind of excitement to play.”
Watch: Anfield celebrates 2005 semi-final win over Chelsea
As for the tie itself, Riise acknowledged that runaway Premier League leaders City can lay claim to be favourites for progression given their level of performance this season.
However, the former defender insisted the Anfield factor could be crucial to the Reds’ hopes of making it to the tournament’s last four.
He added: “City has played some football in the Premier League this season that I’ve never seen before. They look so strong!
“At the same time, Liverpool can cause them problems, they’ve proved it before. Plus, it’s a Champions League night and Champions League nights for Liverpool, especially at Anfield, it’s something different.
“I know the City players know that, Guardiola knows that, the fans and players of Liverpool know it’s special, so they’re going to get extra energy.
“I would say City are the favourites before the tie gets going but not as big favourites as if it was in the Premier League.
“I’m excited for those two games and if you want to win the Champions League you’ve got to beat the best teams and City is probably the best team in the Champions League at the moment.”
Riise also expressed his belief that Klopp’s men have a chance of going all the way in this season’s competition thanks to their difference-makers at the top end of the pitch.
He said: “When we won it in 2005, we were far from the best team on paper, player by player, but we had a team.
“We were working hard for each other, we were compact, we had Rafa, who was a brilliant tactician who put us in the right place at the right time, the right game.
“People might have thought, ‘Why is he playing today?’ but he had a reason for it.
“Now, we have more players who can change a game - like Salah, Firmino, Mane – and we proved if we can play our best football we can beat anybody.
“The way we’ve played lately is absolutely brilliant and I can’t wait for the two legs against City.”