Liverpool´s Origi backed to become Anfield legend by Klopp: People forget how good he is!

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp insisted Divock Origi will be remembered as a club legend, lauding the forward following Wednesday’s thrilling Champions League victory over Milan.

Origi has often taken a backseat to Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino but the Belgian started and impressed in Liverpool’s 3-2 win against Milan at Anfield midweek.

In his first start since January, Origi teed up Salah’s equaliser as Liverpool kicked off their Group B opener with maximum points on Merseyside, where Jordan Henderson settled the contest.

Klopp hailed Origi, who only started six matches last season after Liverpool braced for the 26-year-old’s exit in 2021-22.

“Divock is a great guy, that’s how it is, and in 10 years’ time when we look back he will be a Liverpool legend, but he is too young to be already seen as a legend now so he has to play football,” Klopp told reporters.

“To be 100 per cent honest, of course I thought he would maybe leave in the summer, but the football world is a crazy place and people obviously forgot how good he is.

Our second half scorers pic.twitter.com/mDva30tSLM

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) September 15, 2021

“I said it, it is really difficult to get into this team. That’s just how it is and I have to decide about different positions, who I bring on, how I want to react before a game. That’s why Div was not in, he did nothing wrong. He trains, he gives everything and sometimes you still don’t make it into the squad.

“That really can happen, especially when everybody is fit. But for tonight he was the right player to do it and he did really well. He was not injured, he had cramps, that’s normal and so now let’s see. It’s just nice, I’m really happy I could give him the opportunity and that he used it like he did.”

Liverpool have won their opening home game in seven of their last eight Champions League campaigns (D1), last losing such a match in October 2007 (1-0 against Marseille).

Under Klopp, Liverpool have only lost one of their 13 group-stage games in the Champions League at Anfield (W10 D2) – 2-0 against Atalanta last season.

Liverpool have averaged 2.5 goals per home game in the group stage since the German took charge (33 goals).