Jurgen Klopp said Divock Origi “will forever be a Liverpool legend for me and always will be.”
But what defines a club legend?
Sometimes a goal on derby day can provide a thrill. Or the euphoria of the promise and achievement of returning to Europe.
Perhaps the goals scored to secure final European glory could support that status.
For Liverpool, Divock Origi is much more than his retirement at the age of 31.
While legends of the past wrote history through appearances and trophy wins, Origi wrote Liverpool’s story when it mattered most.
And the goal he scored for Liverpool in a moment of crisis was his most important goal.
“Three goals come to mind,” Origi said. sky sports He recalled a standout moment from his career.
“Barcelona, the Champions League final and the 96th minute Everton derby.
“Each is symbolic in its own way. The final perhaps represents the height of it all. We saw the fruits of it all.
“But if I had to choose just one, I would say the Barcelona goals. The emotion and feeling of those three goals will stay with me forever.”
Aside from these goals, there were many more that would continue to engrave Origi into Anfield legend. Rivals Everton were his favorite opponents during his career, scoring six goals in the Merseyside derby, more than against any other team.
The Belgian striker’s moments are also scattered throughout Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool days. Before Mohamed Salah, Alisson and Virgil van Dijk arrived to change the face of modern Liverpool, Origi was there during the difficult early days under Klopp, starting the first 11 games and scoring a crucial goal in the Europa League.
Brendan Rodgers signed Origi in 2014 and began a career at Liverpool that saw him score 41 goals over 175 games. There have also been loan outs during his time at Anfield, with Klopp admitting Origi deserves more of an impact role than the one he has created.
Origi may leave Liverpool in 2022, but his name will echo through the halls of Liverpool alongside Klopp’s. He took home Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup medals.
For a player who rarely sees regular action for Germany, the bond Klopp and Origi shared was unique.
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Just months before Origi left Anfield, Jurgen Klopp described the forward as a ‘Liverpool legend’.
“Klopp holds a special place for me,” Origi said.
“We have shared special moments and won the biggest trophies together, but it has been a gift for him to help me discover who I really am off the pitch.
“The first thing he told me was that he believed in me. I was in his first starting XI, and he believed in me from day one.”
“He told me that we would achieve great things together as long as I was all in. And we did. When I left, he thanked me for all we had accomplished together and he was excited about what was to come for me.”
After trials at AC Milan and Nottingham Forest, it is now time for a new chapter for Origi, with his last competitive appearance coming in 2024. He closes the previous chapter with a sense of satisfaction.
“I was blessed to win the biggest trophy in the game,” he said. Sky Sports.
“But most of all, I am proud to have contributed to a team that will forever be remembered in football history, a club like Liverpool that has shaped and continues to shape the game.
“And along with that, I’m proud of what football has made me. It’s helped shape me into the person I am. It’s shaped my beliefs.
“I have no regrets. Every journey has its challenges, but through faith I have always believed that every challenge came to sharpen me and hone my skills to help me grow as a man and player.
“That’s what it meant. I accepted every celebration and every challenge because they both made me the player and the man I am today.”
For Origi, Next is an opportunity to pursue his love of fashion while also working alongside his friend Marvin Willem Ofori at Belgian football agency DLF Sports.
Orikido is also studying to become a world-class entrepreneur.
Liverpool people will remember him as a ‘legend’, but when asked what he would like to be remembered for, Origi’s answer was simple.
“A player who has truly achieved his purpose. A player who has fully become who he was created to be, not just as a player but as a man.”
