Barcelona and Actual Madrid missed a trick in not signing Mousa Dembele – he was phenomenal.
That is the view of John Arne Riise, who performed alongside the retired midfielder at Fulham in the course of the 2011/12 season.
4
Blessed with supreme dribbling abilities, in addition to being a bodily monster and technical maestro, Dembele was one of the crucial gifted footballers throughout his time spent in England.
Having starred within the Netherlands, Fulham signed him from AZ Alkmaar in 2010, the place he spent two years earlier than being snapped up by Tottenham Hotspur.
He loved seven years in north London – making 250 membership appearances – earlier than making the transfer to China to hyperlink up with Guangzhou Metropolis, remaining there till he retired in 2022.
And whereas he will get the credit score from followers, teammates and people who performed towards him, Riise believes he was robbed of taking part in for an elite European group.
Riise is aware of all too properly of what a world class participant is having performed alongside Steven Gerrard, Xabi Alonso, Javier Mascherano and Fernando Torres throughout his time at Liverpool.
Whereas he additionally was a teammate of Thierry Henry at Monaco and Francesco Totti at Roma.
Riise not too long ago joined the talkSPORT LineUp panel consisting of Jim White, Troy Deeney and Tony Bellew, the place he was requested to call a five-a-side group comprised of his former teammates.
And Dembele was straight in there, though in a job many could not have predicted.
Having gone with ex-Reds teammate Pepe Reina to begin between the sticks, Riise moved onto the defence, the place he stated: “Effectively, I am going offensive, as my defender, I am going Mousa Dembele.”
His remark at transferring the participant additional again within the pitch shocked ex-Watford skipper Deeney, who performed towards the Belgian on quite a few events.
4
4
To which a laughing Riise then acknowledged: “As a result of I’ve some gamers I must put in!”
Deeney was then fast to ask Riise for his view on Dembele after labelling him as ‘probably the greatest midfielders’ he had ever payed towards.
Waxing lyrical over the 37-year-old, the 2005 Champions League winner remarked: “I agree with you.
“I performed with him at Fulham. I can’t imagine he didn’t get to Barcelona, Madrid or some group like that, as a result of he was unreal.
“That’s why I put him in my group as properly, as a result of no one may take the ball off him.”
Riise’s inclusion of Dembele in defence noticed Alonso and Gerrard named as his midfield pairing, with Henry main the road.
4
Norwegian icon Riise is not the one footballer who believes Dembele was denied the possibility of competing for an elite group, with Madrid centre-back Antonio Rudiger beforehand sharing the identical view.
Former Chelsea defender Rudiger, who got here up towards Dembele within the 2017/18 season, stated: “This man, that he did not play, no disrespect to Tottenham, however that he did not play at an even bigger membership, I do not understand how. I actually do not understand how, as a result of he had all the pieces.
“This man, I’ve by no means seen somebody so sturdy like him. He was like a wall.
“And method, he does not know stress. You possibly can go him the ball, two males could be behind him, no drawback.”
In the meantime Dembele’s ex-Spurs teammate Kyle Walker labelled the participant as one of many biggest he has ever competed alongside.
