The young Belgian striker has undergone something of a transformation since Klopp took charge of Liverpool last year.
Liverpool’s Divock Origi in action with Tottenham’s Eric Dier
Speaking to the club’s official website, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has claimed striker Divock Origi is in better shape now than when he arrived at the club.
Origi originally joined the Reds in the summer of 2014 after impressing for Belgium at the World Cup that year.
After a year on loan at Lille, where he struggled, he returned to Anfield last summer but failed to get into the team under Brendan Rodgers.
Since Klopp replaced Rodgers at the club he has shown an impressive transformation, becoming more of a physical unit as a result of the German’s training regimes.
Liverpool’s Divock Origi in action with Derby’s Bradley Johnson
And his manager believes that the youngster is now in completely different shape to what he was when he first arrived.
“Last October when I came here, he was far away from the first team,” he told the club’s official website.
“Now it’s October again and he’s in a completely different shape. I told him before the [Tottenham] game and you could see it in the game before he cramped up. He’s in a good way.”
Liverpool’s Divock Origi celebrates scoring their third goal
The challenge now is for Origi to further prove himself and become a regular starter for Liverpool in future.
He is yet to start a Premier League game this season but showed his abilities in the midweek win over Tottenham Hotspur in the EFL Cup.
He faces a fight to get in at present, though, with Roberto Firmino starring as the side’s striker and Daniel Sturridge also in the wings.
The situation is a frustrating one for the Belgian and Klopp has admitted Origi may end up getting frustrated with it.
“At a smaller club, you play all the time. At a bigger club you need to use game time,” he added.
“I’d say I am close to Divock. We have good talks. Will he get impatient? Maybe. What can I do? It can happen and I have to deal with it.”
Liverpool’s Divock Origi celebrates scoring their third goal
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