John Arne Riise calls out 'big-mouthed' Craig Bellamy for continuing to talk about the Liverpool team-mates' notorious 2007 golf club bust-up... as he tips Roberto De Zerbi to take over from Jurgen Klopp at Anfield

John Arne Riise has called out former Liverpool team-mate Craig Bellamy for continuing to talk about their extraordinary bust-up at a training camp in Portugal in 2007. 

Ahead of a Round of 16 meeting with Barcelona in the Champions League, the side were preparing at a resort in the Algarve, and on a night off, Riise and Bellamy are thought to have tangled after the latter tried to convince the former to take part in karaoke. 

Riise reportedly told Bellamy to 'shut the f*** up or I'm going to smash you!', to which Bellamy replied: 'I'm gonna f****** kill you, you ginger ****!'

As per his 2018 memoir Running Man, Riise later awoke to find Bellamy standing over him with a golf club alongside team-mate Steve Finnan. The former Wales international is alleged to have swung the club at him repeatedly, causing bruises on his legs and hip. 

But on recent podcast appearances, Bellamy has appeared to dispute Riise's version of events - something the former Norway international has taken umbrage with. 

'I don't think what happened with Craig Bellamy should have happened between two teammates, but it can happen when you are not in a good place in your life mixed with alcohol,' Riise told BoyleSports. 'You do things you normally wouldn't and regret. 

'It's certainly something I will never forget although obviously I can forgive, which I did after it happened because I knew Bellamy and that's not who he is. Even though he is big-mouthed, he's not that kind of guy.' 

Bellamy was later forced to apologise to Riise by Liverpool, and handed an £80,000 fine. 

Just days after the incident, both Riise and Bellamy scored in the Reds' win against the Blaugrana at the Nou Camp - with the latter notoriously celebrating his hit by mimiming swinging a golf club. 

'Obviously we made up and three days after we scored against Barcelona,' Riise continued. 

'But what I do feel is weird is that I've seen him talk about it on a few podcasts saying stuff, and what he says is in my opinion is not exactly how it went.

'I'm also surprised he remembers everything because he was drunk. But it is what it is. He apologised and he knew and said lately it shouldn't have happened, and he's put his hands up, so I accept that.

'We're not friends and we won't be friends, he's not a person I want to have in my life because of what happened. But at the same time, people make mistakes, massive mistakes, and it's all about apologising and moving on.

'He's not a person I need in my life and I won't have in my life, so I wish him all the best. Life goes on.'

In 2022, Bellamy described how tensions ahead of the karaoke incident had been rising due to Riise allegedly cheating in a golf game with himself and Robbie Fowler, and how he had discovered that Riise has lied about going to Norway over attending a Liverpool Christmas party. 

Subsequently fined for his actions, Bellamy said that Riise had to take part in karaoke 'as part of his fine'. 

'So I was like 'you've got to sing', but he was refusing so my head was like 'I've had enough of you, no you're singing',' Bellamy added. 

'He sort of came back at me like 'no I ain't singing, now f***ing mind your own business'. I let it go, I was with Sami Hyypia because we have the same agent and he was like 'just leave it'.'

'You know when it's just chewing away at you and with drink as well. So he went, I remember staying behind and me and Steve Finnan were going back to our room,' Bellamy continued.

'And I was like 'I'm not having this, I'm not accepting what he done there'. So I got my club, went to his room, knocked the door. Daniel Agger's sharing with him. (Riise) put it on the latch because he thinks it's Daniel Agger.

'So I open the door, roll in, he's in bed, I smacked him across the legs and said 'you ever speak to me like that in front of anyone, I will put this round your head'.

'That was it. I went, it was a little bit more talking c***.'

At the time, Riise said that the most important thing for the players to do was to move on from the incident, stressing that it had taken 'courage' but that they were both team players. 

'We both had a tough week after Portugal but we had the courage to put all the problems behind us. Craig and I are men, we are mature, we are team players,' Riise continued. 'We spoke about what happened but the important thing was we agreed we could put it behind us and we are happy.'

As well as rehashing the past, Riise offered his thoughts on who should take over from Jurgen Klopp at Anfield at the end of the season, tipping Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi as his preferred candidate. 

'Liverpool's next manager depends on where the club wants to go,' He added. 'I love what De Zerbi has done at Brighton. He would be a good fit because he's so focussed on being who he is, he doesn't change, he goes his own way. I would love to see him at Liverpool.

'It depends on what direction they want to go and also Klopp's admiration for De Zerbi is a factor. Klopp, one way or another, will be giving the club some insight into how they should move forward and who they should look at and I believe De Zerbi is one of the top contenders and I'd be delighted to have him.'

Liverpool are thought to be in advanced talks with Sporting CP manager Ruben Amorim, after their favoured contender - former Riise team-mate Xabi Alonso - confirmed that he would be continuing his spell at Bayer Leverkusen next season.