MY ACCOUNT
After another crucial Merseyside derby goal, Divock Origi insisted he does not take such magical moments for granted.
The Liverpool striker netted a famous 96th-minute winner against Everton in 2018 and came off the bench to put the Reds 2-0 up in Sunday’s Anfield encounter after Andy Robertson had earlier broken the deadlock.
As well as his derby interventions, Origi sealed the Merseysiders’ victory in the 2019 Champions League final and notched a crucial stoppage-time winner at Wolves earlier this season.
On his ability to pop up at such important times, the Belgian said: “It’s unbelievable. Honestly, I don’t take it for granted.
“It is such a pleasure to be able to play football at the highest level, to win these games — for the club it means so much, for me it means so much.
“After the game you can look back [and] be happy, but especially now. Take it, put it in the baggage and take it for the next game and hopefully keep the momentum going.”
Hard work pays off
Origi will forever have supersub status at Anfield after his exploits and he knows his hard work on the training ground is key to his success.
Asked what boss Jurgen Klopp told him and fellow replacement Luis Diaz before they were sent on with the game in the balance at 0-0, Origi said it was already obvious what was needed.
He said: “I think it was clear. For us, we worked hard in training so I knew I was going to have to come on and help the team as much as possible.
“It was a close game so we needed that first goal to get the momentum going and once we got that then it was about being able to control the game as much as possible.
“We played against a team that played with a big heart, they wanted to come here and take the three points, so for us it feels like a job well done and we’re looking forward to the next games.
“For me as a player, it’s [about] staying ready — try to do extra work to level up what you maybe missed in game time and then coming in and making plays.
“You cannot know what happens before the game, you can just get as well prepared as possible and once you know that you are well prepared you can come in and enjoy the game.
“That’s what happened today and obviously the goals help the team, that is the most important thing.”
Striker’s instinct
Origi was introduced alongside Diaz with half an hour remaining and the visiting Toffees offering stern resistance.
However, two minutes later, Robertson converted Mohamed Salah’s cross to head home the crucial opener.
Origi then took centre stage in the 85th minute, reacting quickest to Diaz’s scuffed overhead kick to nod the ball past Jordan Pickford.
Summarising his goal, only his third in the Premier League this season, the 27-year-old added: “Once the ball is in the air the first instinct as a striker is to try to go to the second post because you know that the central defender is looking at the ball and you never know, if the ball is deflected or it comes off the keeper.
“So for me it was purely instinct and in the end a successful goal.”
Origi will hope to feature once more in Liverpool’s Champions League semi-final first leg against Villarreal on Wednesday, before Klopp’s men turn their focus to the Premier League title race with a trip to Newcastle on Saturday.
