Harry Kewell has told Premier League Productions that coming off the bench during Liverpool’s 6-0 win over Leeds United would have been “difficult” for Divock Origi. But the ex-Reds winger praised the Belgian.
Liverpool kept the Premier League title race alive on Wednesday night with a convincing 6-0 win over a Leeds side that are leaking goals at the moment. Mo Salah and Sadio Mane got a brace each, as Anfield watched on.
Virgil van Dijk and Joel Matip also got their names on the score sheet – as Liverpool closed the gap between themselves and Manchester City to just three points. Origi, 26, came off the bench in the 85th minute.
With the scoreline reading 4-0 following his introduction, Belgium man Origi, 26, would have been desperate to nab himself a sixth goal of the season – and he was involved in Mane’s second, a 90th-minute tap in.
Making a run that Kewell labelled “powerful”, he was played in and got a touch to the ball before on-rushing Leeds goalkeeper Illan Meslier. It saw the ball find its way to Mane, who tapped home. Kewell praised Origi.
“Origi. He wants to prove his point, he wants to get that start. To come on, at 4-0, it is difficult because you want to get a goal to make an impression. That run there [for Mane’s second] is powerful,” Kewell said in his analysis.
Kewell on Origi: Liverpool man is putting himself in shop window
Right now, he can do little else. The chances of Liverpool offering him a new deal, or Origi showing he deserves one, are almost zero. The Belgian is out of contract in June and with four months until he leaves, he looks set to go.
A Liverpool icon, Origi will always be remembered by Liverpool fans for his brace in the Champions League semi-final comeback win over Barcelona – and then scoring the second in the 2-0 win over Tottenham in the final.
But Origi looks set to go and even if he does score on Wednesday night, as Kewell states he is looking to make an impression – it will only be for onlooking clubs. Origi will be looking to put himself in the shop window.
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