The Belgian striker remains a fan favourite on the Kop, but he's become persona non grata at San Siro
Liverpool are back in the Champions League. They've only been away for a year, of course, but it felt like an eternity for a club that has a special bond with the European Cup. They've made three finals between 2018 and 2022, even taking home the trophy in 2019 when the Reds overcame Tottenham in Madrid.
Divock Origi came off the bench to score the killer second goal in a 2-0 win at the Metropolitano – which just felt so fitting. The Belgian was the quintessential cult hero, Liverpool's modern-day David Fairclough, a reliable reserve always likely to make a major impact on the biggest of occasions, and when his team needed him most.
Consequently, when he left on a free transfer in the summer of 2022 to join AC Milan, he did so with the warmest of wishes from the Kop. He'd served Jurgen Klopp's great Liverpool side so well, but had understandably grown frustrated by a lack of game time. At 27 years of age, he rightly wanted to see if he could become a first-team regular away from Anfield.
However, Origi won't be in the Milan starting line up that Liverpool will face on their Champions League return on Tuesday. He won't even be on the bench. And not because he's suspended or injured; Origi is no longer even a member of Milan's senior squad. Just two years after arriving in Italy, Liverpool's beloved super-sub is rotting in the Rossoneri's reserves.
Follow GOAL's official WhatsApp channel!Join now'Corner taken quickly'
When Klopp stepped down as Liverpool manager after an emotional nine-year tenure, Origi was among those to pay tribute to the German manager. "Forever grateful," the forward wrote below an Instagram post of two pictures of the pair embracing. "What a legacy you've built." Origi undeniably played a minor role in its construction, though.
It was his last-gasp winner in the Merseyside derby against Everton in December 2018 that had prompted an ecstatic Klopp to race onto the pitch and celebrate with Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker. Origi had also sparked arguably the wildest scenes of celebration ever witnessed at Anfield when he swept home Trent Alexander-Arnold's "corner taken quickly" to complete the historic Champions League comeback against Barcelona in May 2019.
Klopp had actually missed Origi's finish in real time – just like Barcelona's defence, he'd been caught out by the alert Alexander-Arnold – but says he's since watched it "500,000 times".
AdvertisementGetty 'They'll write books about him'
Of course, despite his heroics during the 2018-19 season, Origi never went on to become a regular under Klopp, primarily because Liverpool were in possession of one of the modern game's great attacking triumvirates in Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane. However, Klopp still felt compelled to call Origi a "Liverpool legend" and claim that "they'll write books about him one day".
"He's an incredible striker," the ex-Reds boss said after Origi's last-minute winner against Wolves in December 2021. "For different reasons, he has not played that often, but I hope one day he finds a manager that plays him more than I do.
"He's one of the best finishers I've ever seen in my life. In this great team, with our [front] three, he doesn't play all the time, but he is a very positive boy, loves the club, wants to contribute, and he does it in an incredible way."
Getty Images'Pure joy'
However, Origi didn't play enough games to trigger a one-year extension during the 2021-22 season, which effectively spelt the end of his Liverpool career.
Klopp, though, insisted "wherever he goes, he will be successful, 100 per cent", labelling him "one of the most important players" he'd ever had the pleasure to manage. "That might sound strange with the amount of games he had," Klopp acknowledged, "but it was a pure joy to work together."
The feeling was very much mutual, with Origi also describing his time under Klopp as "pure joy".
"When you don’t play, you feel hurt, but beyond that you always try to put the team first," he explained ahead of his departure. "And I know that we have an unbelievable coach who makes the right decisions – we need to win games.
"In my time here, we won so many games and being able to put the team first has been my thing. Every time, I still felt like every footballer. I wanted to play but, in the end, I knew there was a higher purpose. I feel that my purpose is done here in Liverpool."
Unfortunately for Origi, while leaving Liverpool was undeniably a positive development for his first-team prospects, he's seen even less game time since moving to Milan.
GettyMisery in Milan
It has been subsequently claimed that Milan's data department had doubts over the signing of Origi simply because there was very little data to work with. He may have made 175 appearances for Liverpool, but only 68 of those had been starts.
Nonetheless, former directors Paolo Maldini and Ricky Massara still felt that snapping up Origi was something of a no-brainer given he was available on a free transfer – and had still managed 41 goals and 13 assists despite his restricted role at Anfield.
However, Origi was given a four-year contract worth €4 million (£3.4m/$4.4m) per season, making him the second-highest-paid player at the club at the time, after Rafael Leao – and that investment was ultimately used as a stick with which to beat Maldini and Massara in spite of the key role their transfers had played in the club's 2021-22 Serie A title triumph.
Origi certainly looked like a complete waste of money in his first season at San Siro, during which he netted just twice in 36 games, but there were at least some mitigating circumstances.