Liverpool star had 'stolen' payslip leaked online forcing club to launch investigation

A Liverpool star once had his payslip 'stolen' and leaked online, prompting an investigation from the club.

John Arne Riise joined Liverpool from Monaco in 2001 and went on to make 348 appearances, scoring 31 goals and winning the Champions League, FA Cup and League Cup.

The Norwegian, known for his sledgehammer of a left foot, spent seven years on Merseyside before leaving for Roma in 2008.

But just before he departed Anfield, Riise's payslip was shared around on the internet on Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal websites and included salary details, but also important and sensitive information such as his address and national insurance number.

One photo showed a hand clutching the payslip, which was, "Private and Confidential", while a second image had details such as the monthly pay the packet, tax code and National Insurance.

The Daily Mail reported on the leaked payslip 17 years ago, with a source close to Riise claiming the document was stolen and expressing worries about the national insurance widely circulating.

They said: "We are convinced someone has stolen this. John Arne Riise is not the sort of person who throws a wageslip in the rubbish bin.

"It's clearly been taken without his consent. There is a lot of delicate information about John now widely available on the net and it's circulating like wildfire.

"There's the added concern that his national insurance number could be misused by fraudsters."

Images of the payslip look to have been taken in April 2007 but relate to his payment for September 2006.

John Arne Riise had his payslip leaked online. Image: Getty

According to the slip, Riise earned £139,634 that month and his pay was broken down into four categories.

He collected around £82,000 after paying a whopping £55,500 in tax on his wage, but there was also incentives such as a £250 points bonus, £4,000 in appearance fees and a Champions League payment of £15,384.62 to end up with a monthly gross salary of £139,634.62.

As well as the huge tax payment, which stood at £304,137.66 for the year, Riise was also £1611.67 in National Insurance, £65 for meals and £36 for a ticket.

Speaking at the time, a Liverpool spokesperson said: "We are taking the matter extremely seriously and we are investigating."

Meanwhile, a police spokesman said: "As far as we are aware, no complaints have been made so far."