Ex-Anfield hero branded ‘only a distant relative’ of former Liverpool self in withering media verdict
Four years on from perhaps the greatest week of not just his Liverpool career, but that as a whole, Divock Origi is enduring rockier times at AC Milan.
An unforgettable four-day period in May 2019 saw the Belgian score a late winner at Newcastle to preserve the Reds’ Premier League title hopes and then net twice in an epic 4-0 win over Barcelona to send Jurgen Klopp’s side into the Champions League final, when he scored again in triumph over Spurs.
However, the 28-year-old came in for withering criticism from several Italian media outlets following the Rossoneri’s 1-1 draw at home to relegation-threatened Cremonese in Serie A.
Tuttomercatoweb wrote of Origi’s performance on the evening that, after a ‘promising‘ start to the game, he later ‘disappeared‘ and gave ‘very little to the team‘, being described as ‘only a distant relative of the [player] admired in his Liverpool days‘.
The outlet also noted how other Italian newspapers and broadcasters were largely unimpressed with his display at San Siro.
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Despite his team reaching the Champions League semi-finals, the same stage at which he netted that iconic double against Barcelona in 2019, the Belgian has endured a frustrating first season at Milan.
Of his 25 Serie A appearances, just nine have come from the start, with only two goals to his name, the last of which came at the end of January. He’s also failed to score in his side’s European run (Transfermarkt), a record he’ll be hoping to set right against city rivals Inter over the next fortnight.
Origi wasn’t the most regular of goalscorers at Liverpool, albeit recording a respectable tally of 41 goals in 175 games (Transfermarkt).
However, he’ll forever be a hero among Kopites not just for the brace against Barca, but also the late winners to see off Newcastle and Everton in 2018/19, and his goal in Madrid which sealed Champions League glory.
It’s a shame that he hasn’t made the impression he’d have liked at San Siro so far, but if his habit of coming good on the big occasion strikes again over the next few weeks, it could yet see him become just as adored by the Milan faithful as he is – and always will be – among the red half of Merseyside.
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