‘Changed everything’ – Liverpool hero reveals secrets behind sensational body transformation

01/01/2025 11:51 AM

Liverpool icon John Arne Riise has been showing off his stunning new physique after participating in a Norwegian reality TV show.

Riise was one of six contestants in a series titled ’16 Weeks of Hell’, a series where celebrities are pushed to their physical breaking point and undergo a strict diet to turn their lives around.

Before the series, Riise opened up on why he wanted to get involved in the show.

“I want to become a machine again,” Riise said, per Norwegian outlet Dagbladet.

“It’s been a while since I stopped playing football, so it will be exciting to see how much of a machine I can become.

“I want to get back to my everyday routines with both training and diet, push my limits, eat right and feel good when I look in the mirror.”

And after 16 weeks of physical punishment and transforming his diet entirely, Riise looks unrecognisable.

Riise, who made over 340 appearances for Liverpool during his seven seasons at the club, shared a before-and-after picture on his Instagram to show off his new look.

The 44-year-old wrote: “Before and after. Hard work and dedication with the diet changed everything for me. Let’s go 2025.”

One of his former Liverpool teammates Jerzy Dudek congratulated the Norwegian for the staggering transformation.

“Well done John,” Dudek wrote in the comments.

In an interview with Norwegian channel TV 2, Riise gave details on just how problematic his diet before the show was.

Riise would guzzle down three or four cans of energy drinks a day and eat chocolate and crisps in the evenings.

“It’s a scandal that I let it go this far,” Riise said.

Now, he’s swapped the chocolate and crisps for dates and grapes.

“I didn’t eat any candy in those 16 weeks,” Riise said.

Riise also cut out alcohol entirely.

In terms of the physical training, Riise put himself through a whopping 162 sessions in 112 days.

Riise also shared one of his biggest motivations with wanting to get involved with the show was when he looked at pictures of himself during his time as a coach at Norwegian club Avaldsnes.

He came out of retirement for a second time to join the club as a player at age 42 in June 2023 and even scored on debut.

But he eventually hung the boots up for a third and final time as he transitioned into a coaching role.

It was during this spell that Riise lost control of his physical lifestyle, not that he knew it at the time.

“I didn’t think it was that bad,” Riise said.

“But then I see before and after pictures and think, ‘what the hell? What happened? Why did it go this far?'”

In the interview with TV 2, Riise confirmed he would like to get back into coaching again.

It would take something special for Riise’s coaching career to match what he achieved as a player.

Riise featured in over 700 games all over the world as a player, with stints in France, England, Italy, Norway and even India.

But it was his time at Anfield that he is undoubtedly known best for.

Riise developed a reputation as an energetic left-back with a thunderous left boot that would thump goals in from distance.

He also helped Liverpool win its first Champions League in 21 years as they famously beat AC Milan in 2005.