While Jurgen Klopp was able to get the most out of Divock Origi, the Belgian striker was struggled since leaving Liverpool – and his manager has a theory why.
Origi scored 41 goals in 175 games over seven years at Liverpool and left as a legend in 2022, but he has been unable to find his feet since.
After a frustrating time at AC Milan, who he joined on a free transfer, the 29-year-old spent the most recent campaign on loan at Nottingham Forest.
Over the last two seasons Origi has played 58 times, but only 18 as a starter and with just three goals to his name for Milan and Forest.
In his live Q&A as part of An Evening With Jurgen Klopp on Tuesday, Klopp held up Origi as a “good example” of how to manage squad players, and explained why he believes he has stuttered since.
“It’s looks like he really functioned here and it really worked out for him here, in the role he had,” Klopp said.
“The reason why we see Divock in a different way is because I knew Divock before the fella from Everton, [Ramiro] Funes Mori, killed his ankle. He was incredible.
“He played, at Borussia Dortmund, a game I never saw from a striker, honestly. It was absolutely insane.
“Best striker in Europe and at that moment he was 19, maybe 20 – in Europe, in that game, in that specific game.
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“Then things happened. You get knocked down, really bad tackle, and then he comes back for the Europa League final, he rushed it a little bit, because it was a final, he tried to get on the pitch, didn’t work out properly.
“And in a really important phase of his career, he couldn’t keep getting confidence, couldn’t learn how good he actually is.
“So we used him in the way we used him. He had a few too many injuries, unfortunately, but we still used him.”
There was an understanding among fans when Origi opted to leave on the expiry of his contract two years ago, with the Belgium international deserving of a starting role.
But that he played under two different managers on loan at Forest sums up the difficult situation he has faced, as there has been less close-quarters support like he benefited from under Klopp.
“You just have to be honest and reliable. If you say something, it should happen,” the departing manager continued.
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“If I tell a player ‘you will not start this week, but you will start next week’, and they don’t start next week, then you have a problem.
“But I would never say these things, because I have no clue who plays next week!
“It’s about that. It’s about respect, and the role is to improve the players.
“I just never knew another way”
“It’s my job, so I cannot let them hang alone in the corner when they are not well, I have to get them out of there. I have to try to help them.
“And for that, again, you need real energy. I have to make that step, players don’t come to me immediately after he doesn’t do great.
“For me, it’s important that I can catch him as early as possible in this kind of situation, so I can help him early and not let him go far in the wrong direction.
“That’s how I understood the job. Other managers do it differently, they are more successful and stuff like this, I just never knew another way. That’s it.”
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