I accepted former Liverpool teammate's apology after infamous event but we'll never be friends

John Arne Riise has confessed that he finds it 'weird' when his former Liverpool teammate Craig Bellamy publicly discusses the notorious golf club incident.

This infamous event took place back in February 2007, when both were playing for Liverpool. The team was training in the Algarve at the time, preparing to face the formidable Barcelona, the reigning European champions, at Camp Nou in the Champions League round-of-16. Following a disagreement earlier in the evening, Bellamy infamously stormed into Riise's hotel room and attacked him with a golf club.

Just days later, both players scored in Liverpool's memorable 2-1 victory at Camp Nou, with Bellamy celebrating his goal with a golf swing before Riise's late winner. The entire saga has etched an indelible mark on the Reds' modern history.

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If you Google 'Craig Bellamy', after the former Liverpool striker's profile, 'Craig Bellamy golf club' is the second most suggested search term. A bit further down, you'll find 'Craig Bellamy John Arne Riise'. Their names are forever linked due to that altercation 17 years ago.

It's no surprise that both have been repeatedly questioned about the incident over the years, with Bellamy sharing his side of the story as recently as last October on .

While Riise has forgiven Bellamy, insisting it was out of character despite the Welshman's 'big-mouthed' reputation, he admits the pair will never be friends and that his former team-mate is not someone he wants in his life.

Meanwhile, the Norwegian has also admitted to finding it 'weird' when Bellamy offers up his version of events, pointing out the former Liverpool striker was drunk and suggesting his account is inaccurate.

"I don't think what happened with Craig Bellamy should have happened between two teammates," Riise said, speaking to BoyleSports, who offer the latest Premier League betting. "But it can happen when you are not in a good place in your life mixed with alcohol. 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. Obviously we made up and three days after we scored against Barcelona.

"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 apologized 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."

Liverpool.com says: That was such a weird few days in Liverpool's modern history. It almost felt scripted that both Bellamy and Riise would go on to score against Barcelona after that incident emerged in the lead-up to the game. As much as the pair made up after the event, it seems they don't quite see eye to eye with each other to this day.

* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can read the original story in the Liverpool ECHO by clicking here.