Riera To Be Given Chance To Salvage His Liverpool Career

ALBERT RIERA will be offered the chance to revive his Liverpool career today.

New manager Roy Hodgson has pledged to give every player the opportunity to prove they have a future at the club.

The controversial winger was thought to be surplus to requirements after a spectacular fall-out with former manager Rafa Benitez last season.

Frustrated by a lack of first team opportunities, the Spain international criticised Benitez’s management style and labelled the club a ‘sinking ship’.

Riera’s incredible outburst saw him suspended and fined two weeks wages after which he was frozen out at Liverpool before also missing out on Spain’s World Cup squad.

It has been a miserable year for the former Manchester City winger but now Riera will get his chance to impress the new boss, who has suggested everyone will start with a clean slate.

“Whenever a new manager comes in, players who have been on the periphery start to see it and maybe think ‘this may be my chance, I’ll have a go’,” said Hodgson

“You’d be foolish as a manager not to give them that chance.”

A minor knee injury prevented Riera from reporting back for the start of pre-season training last week.

Instead he was given Thursday and Friday off by the club and is expected at Melwood today where he will meet Hodgson.

Italian giants Juventus are thought to be interested in Riera, as are La Liga side Mallorca who could try to tempt the 28-year-old back to the ONO Estadi where he began his career.

Riera joined Liverpool from Espanyol for £8million in summer 2008 but has failed to make an impact, scoring just five goals.

He made 28 Premier League appearances in his first season on Merseyside but just 12 last term before falling out of favour after an alleged training ground bust-up with another player and a move to Spartak Moscow fell through in April leaving Riera in limbo.

Since then the player has backtracked on his ‘sinking ship’ jibe insisting he wants to remain at Anfield.

“This was a difficult year for me and for Liverpool,” said Riera last month.

“Sincerely, if I can, I would like to remain at Liverpool because this club is a top one.”

That decision is now with Hodgson, though the Reds boss will probably have to offload players before he can start to shape his own squad.

Although chairman Martin Broughton has claimed the club do not need to raise money from player sales to alleviate the club’s debts, Hodgson will begin his tenure with a modest transfer kitty of around £12million.

Hodgson said last week that he will ‘fight tooth and nail’ to keep Liverpool’s best players at the club but will also know that he will have to raise funds if he is to secure his top transfer targets.