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Divock Origi's defining moments: How departing super sub became Anfield cult hero

Divock Origi with the Champions League trophy

With Divock Origi leaving Liverpool, Planet Sport looks at how he became a cult hero with Reds fans and his defining moments at Anfield.

Liverpool has a long history of great players, legends of the game who have done it all and won it all while wearing the famous red shirt, but few have become such huge cult hero figures like Divock Origi.
Origi will leave Liverpool this summer after a decent on paper record of 41 goals from 175 games for the Reds across seven seasons.
The stats, though, don't even tell half the story.

For while Origi doesn't have the weight of goals, he has a highlights reel that few can match in terms of scoring huge goals at huge moments.

Origi has been out on loan and looked like leaving a couple of times, but every time he's stayed he's come off the bench to produce something memorable.
It's his impact, his timing, his loyalty to the club and his fantastic team ethic that means he'll be given an almighty send-off by Reds fans.

Why do Liverpool fans love 'super sub' Divock Origi?

Being a super sub isn't that easy. You always have to be ready and you don't really have time to play your way into games usually.

The one big chance left in the game may fall your way, and you have to be ready to take it - and that's how Origi has made his name.

Jurgen Klopp calls him the best finisher at the club and his goals in huge games in the league and Champions League are some of the club's biggest moments.

Off the pitch he's a popular figure in the dressing room, has sacrificed regular first-team football to play in a back-up role to one of the best attacks in world football - adding the finishing touches when needed.
Origi has also set up a scholarship fund at the University of Liverpool, which shows his support of the local community.

All good things, but it's his goals that will be remembered - his part in destroying Barcelona, keeping title dreams alive at Newcastle and being a huge thorn in Everton's side will make anyone a Liverpool hero.

Divock Origi's best Liverpool moments

Ding-dong Dortmund battle

Origi scored twice in the tie with Klopp's former side, including the important first Liverpool goal at Anfield in a breathless second leg.
Dortmund led 2-0 at half-time and Liverpool were stung by their quick start, but Origi struck just after the break to get the Reds back on track.
What followed was one of those epic Anfield nights as Dejan Lovren scored a last-minute winner in a 4-3 thriller. If you see the pictures though, Origi is right behind him ready to head in himself!

Origi loves scoring against Everton

The Belgian scored six goals in six Anfield appearances against Everton. In fact, with a goal every 77 minutes against the Toffees, Origi has the best scoring rate of any Liverpool player in history who has faced them five times or more.

If that doesn't carve your name into Liverpool legend then what will?
How about scoring the most outrageous Merseyside derby goal in memory in stoppage time in front of the Kop? Yep, that'll do it.
December 2, 2018 saw Liverpool again frustrated by their rivals and being held 0-0 while trying to keep pace with Man City, until Virgil van Dijk's skied volley was bobbled by Jordan Pickford.
It had to be Origi who was alive to the danger to nod in, send the Kop wild, and send Klopp galloping onto the pitch to hug Alisson.

Late away winners

The stock and trade of a super sub is to come off the bench and bag vital goals, and Origi did that brilliantly at both Newcastle in 2018/19 and Wolves this season.

May 2019 was the start of Origi's golden spell and it kicked off with a winner at Newcastle in Liverpool's penultimate game of the season to keep the title race bubbling.

Mohamed Salah came off injured so it was left to Origi to rise highest and head home an 86th-minute winner to again be the right man, at the right time, in the right place.

Origi did the same trick at Wolves this season, as he again showed his finishing skills to grab three points from a tough test at Molineux in a busy December.

This one was more under the radar but it's the type of goal that keeps title challenges going when games start to come thick and fast in winter.
It's also notable for Klopp's final words to his super sub before he sent him on, simply saying: "Be Divock".

Origi the Barca destroyer

Just three days after scoring the winner at Newcastle, Origi started the biggest game of his career as Liverpool welcomed Barcelona to Anfield for a seemingly pointless Champions League semi-final second leg.

Barca won the first leg 3-0, and the Reds were without Salah or Roberto Firmino up front - but what followed was the most incredible comeback we've seen, and it was started and finished by Origi.

The Belgian grabbed the opener, and when Gini Wijnaldum's quick second-half brace had Barca rocking, Origi was then the one alive to Trent Alexander-Arnold's smart thinking.

Alexander-Arnold's quick corner rightly gets plenty of plaudits, but Origi's finish was unerring as he guided it into the top corner to spark the wildest of celebrations as Liverpool made the final.

Settling the Champions League final

It was only fitting that after Origi played such a huge role in getting Liverpool to the Champions Leaue final, he would have the final word against Tottenham.
The Reds looked in control but at 1-0 anything is possible, so step forward Origi to wipe out any nerves and spark early celebrations with his goal three minutes from time.
Again, the enormity of the occasion shouldn't take away from the quality of the finish, on Origi's weaker left foot he buried an arrow past Hugo Loris right into the bottom corner.
Not for the first time, an Origi goal sparked wild Liverpool celebrations, as the man for the big occasion became the man on the biggest of occasions, and etched his name in Liverpool folklore.

What does Jurgen Klopp say about Divock Origi

Liverpool boss Klopp has no doubts about the quality of Origi, who he rates as the best finisher at the club despite the wealth of their attacking talents.
"He is a legend on and off the pitch," Klopp said. "He is a fantastic footballer for me, and I know it sounds ridiculous as I don't line him up often, he is a world-class striker, he is our best finisher, definitely.
"He always was and everybody would say the same when you see him do these kinds of things in training, then you see the quality of the squad and other players and it's really hard I imagine (for him).
"I have really hard decisions to make because the boys all want to contribute and are responsible for the situation we are in.
"Everybody loves Div and rightly so."
READ MORE: Liverpool hoping Steven Gerrard can help win them the title

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