Riise puts Bellamy row behind him

Riise and Bellamy scored in Liverpool's win over Barcelona

Norwegian defender John Arne Riise says he has put his spat with Craig Bellamy behind him and is keen for the Welsh striker to stay at Liverpool.

Riise and Bellamy were reprimanded by boss Rafa Benitez after rowing after a night out after a club training camp.

Riise told the News of the World: "Craig is a great player and we all want great players at this club.

"We spoke about what happened but the important thing was we agreed we could put it behind us and we are happy."

Bellamy and Riise both scored in Liverpool's 2-1 Champions League first-leg win over Barcelona in the Nou Camp on Wednesday.

Riise added: "It is not up to me to decide what the future is for Craig at Liverpool. My job is to focus on what I am doing for the team.

"But I would like to see him stay here. It was destiny that it should be me and Bellamy who scored the goals.

"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.

"The spirit is strong between us. We knew everyone would expect us to fail after what happened in Portugal.

"But it wasn't about John Arne Riise or Craig Bellamy. It was a victory for Liverpool."