A Shortly after Liverpool lifted the Premier League trophy in July 2020 at an almost empty but electrified Anfield and put an end to a 30-year title wait, something caught the attention of ground observers. All the players and crew left the tunnel before suddenly appearing again: Divock Origi. He walked to the center circle and put his arms behind his back in the middle of the ribbon and stared at Kop. It was an interesting sight I also felt that this was a way for the Belgians to say goodbye.
If he had said goodbye, it would have been a long time, as only now, about two years later, Origi is leaving Liverpool, with the club announcing on Thursday that the striker will leave after his contract expires at the end of the month. Milan, the recent Serie A champions, are said to be his next target.
“It is a truly special journey with significant moments in our history @DivockOrigi many times … Thank you for everything, ”read a tweet from Liverpool’s Twitter account. After receiving a guard of honor after the victory over the Wolves on the last day of the Oriental Premier League campaign, he received gifts not only to the applause of his teammates, but also from club leaders, including owner John V Henry. lustfully sang his name. In general, leaving aside the sixth striker chosen by the team, it is very busy for everyone.
But then Liverpool has always been a place where religious heroes from Coey Jones and David Fairclough to Jimi Traoré and Lucas Leiva are valued, and no one can claim to have done as little as Origi. There is no place for him to be a perfect striker – he has played a total of 41 games in 175 games during his eight years at Merseyside – but he is the author of undeniably great goals, including the three most famous players in the club’s history. This Goal against Everton, ki Goal against Barcelona, ki Stay at Tottenham. Not surprisingly, Liverpool’s Twitter accountlegend“Jürgen Klopp did it more than once on Thursday.
He first went to a room full of journalists before his team’s Champions League match against Genk in November 2019, in response to a reporter who did not remember Origi when talking about the names of players who had graduated from the Belgian club’s academy. Kevin De Bruyne is different, and although Origi is not and never will be at his level, it is a source of great pride for him to represent Liverpool and contribute to winning six trophies, including the Premier League and the Champions League.
“I’ve known Divoku since he was born,” said Michel Ribeiro, a former Genk midfielder who worked with the club’s first-team assistant coach and Origi as a technical coach at his academy. His father, Mike, also played for Genk, so I saw Divok grow up and work with him until he left us when he was eight or nine. [in 2010].
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“He was a fantastic kid, always in a good mood, always open to learning, and we could see from a young age that he had something special. He was one of the best prospects and the hope was that one day he would play for a great club. He did it with Liverpool, it’s fantastic. “
According to Ribeiro, Origin’s alliance with great technique marked him as a potential player. “Divok was taller than other children, but his good side was that he was not only strong, but also had good legs. So we worked on its mobility to increase its ability to run and dribble on the ball. He took it in an amazing way. “
These attributes were demonstrated at the 2014 World Cup as Origi shone for Belgium, playing in five of their games and becoming the first teenager to score in a tournament since Lionel Messi in 2006. Liverpool’s decision that summer to sign him for £ 10 million seemed sensible. “He has everything to be world-class,” said then-manager Brendan Rodgers. “I really believe that.”
Origi was immediately loaned out to Lille, where he spent the previous four seasons, before joining Liverpool for the 2015-16 campaign. It proved to be a difficult time for the club, Rodgers was fired early and replaced by Klopp. The change of manager could have been disastrous for Origi, but he succeeded and scored four times in three games, including both in his epic Europa League quarter-final victory over Borussia Dortmund in April. It’s an important part of Klopp’s plans.
Then came the Merseyside derby that month, and when he scored again, Origi Ramiro Funes damaged his ankle ligaments after Mori’s brutal settlement. The injury knocked him out for a month, costing him a place in the Europa League final and he tested his speed. As for the next season, Origi has largely become an alternative option – from the bench or as an injury cover.
This could have happened anyway, as Klopp went on to improve his squad. Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah arrived in the summer and, together with Roberto Firmino, created one of the most exciting and destructive fronts English football has ever seen. Origi was not at their level, and this was evident when he replaced one in three. Suddenly, Liverpool’s attacking game became less fluid, faster, more imaginative and stronger.
Origi was sent back on loan before the 2017-18 season, this time to Wolfsburg and when he returned he was left not only in the shadows but also out of position. He played more and more differently than the average, so much so that in the 2019-20 title campaign he played more as a left-back than a center-forward – 21 times compared to 18, with the vast majority of these appearances being substitutes.
To a certain extent, Origi fell victim to his education at Genk. As Ribeiro explains: “At the academy, we always put children in different positions to make them as perfect as possible. So Divock played as a left winger, number 9 and number 10, and you can see that with the national team. [when he was] At Liverpool, he is comfortable entering from the wing. That’s why they often play it like that. “
Ribeiro goes on to describe Origin’s work at Genk as “good”. This was widely the case in Liverpool, but three times in six months it is undeniable.
A header in the 96th minute that won the derby, a right-footed finish that completed one of the biggest turnovers in European football history, and a lower left-footed driver to seal the sixth European Cup not only demonstrated Origin’s finishing range and quality. but also the ability to stay cool under pressure. For fans at Enfield in December 2018 and May 2019 and at the Estadio Metropolitano in June 2019, the feeling of the ball hitting the net should not be forgotten. Pure ecstasy. Clean bed.
“I looked at all three goals and then one [Champions League] I screamed like a child in the final because I was so euphoric, ”says Ribeiro. “I actually wrote a message to Divok immediately after the game. To be honest, I always do that – even when he plays a normal game and scores a goal, I send him a message of “congratulations”, “big goal”, and he always says “thank you”. That’s the decent thing to do, and it should end there. “
However, it is also entering its peak years, so the desire to move forward is understandable. Considering how far Origin has come at Liverpool, he finds himself behind not only Mane, Salah and Firmino, but also Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz. The 27-year-old played less than Takumi Minamino last season, although a muscle injury helped and he re-impressed when he played on Origi’s credit.
Six goals were scored in 18 games, several of which found their way into Origi’s memorable Liverpool shots, including a scorpion shot at Preston, a late win over the Wolves and a header against Everton, and a sixth goal in the Merseyside derby. the most productive foreign player in the history of fixtures.
One thing that is clear from Origi’s tweet shortly after Paris’s disappointment and horror is that he leaves Liverpool gratefully for his time at the club: “It was a special trip @LFC YNWA”. However, he may regret that he did not fully hit the heights at Anfield. The player for the big event, but consistently, spoke of world-class talent Rodgers. There were some reasons for this, some were beyond the control of Origin, and for a person who speaks four languages and admires human psychology, he now has a chance to live and develop something new on a personal as well as a professional level.
“Divok is great for sitting on a bench every week,” Ribeiro said. “He has to play, he has to stop this hunger and show everyone what he can do. For me, he is a complete player. “
Does Ribeiro have any final thoughts on Origi? “Not really,” he replies. “Divock knows I love him and I wish him the best.” Of course, everyone at Liverpool does that.