"No club would like to lose their best player. I think that Gerrard is one of the best midfielders in Europe today - possibly the best.
"So I sent him a text message and I asked what was going on. I asked him to stay with Liverpool. He is a good friend and a hell of a player.
Riise said: "He said he didn't quite know, before he added that he was just kidding, and that he wanted to stay.
"That was fantastic news to get. It is almost scary to see how good he is and think about the fact that he is the same age as me."