‘I tell you’: Steve Nicol suggests LFC much better off without ‘horrendous’ ace who played UCL final
The 61-year-old, who played a key part in Bob Paisley’s monster Reds outfit of the 1980s, begrudgingly admitted that the Belgian international had scored a few key goals in his time at Anfield.
“Did he score a goal? Yes, he did. That’s what the guy did at Liverpool. He never saw the field until the last 5-10 minutes, and yes, he had a habit of scoring big goals,” the former Red told ESPNFC.
“But I tell you what, in open play, he was horrendous. And in that final (against Tottenham), he was horrendous as well, even though he scored a goal.
“For a guy who is about 6ft 12. He can’t head a ball to save his life. He couldn’t hold a bag of cement if you played it up to him. He couldn’t pass a ball to someone with the same colour of jersey on. And he can’t head the ball.
“But he scored a goal in the final! His actual play is garbage.”
The now Nottingham Forest striker ended his Merseyside career with 55 goal contributions in 175 games for the club.
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No one is under any illusion at Liverpool that Origi was the greatest striker ever to grace the pitch, or even on par with the likes of Fernando Torres, Ian Rush or Luis Suarez.
That said, to claim that the former Lille man was ‘garbage’ from open play is quite the harsh remark of a player who had a critical say in some of the biggest trophies won during Jurgen Klopp’s time at the helm.
There may not be any statues built in the near future to commemorate his former value to Liverpool, but there’s not a question in our minds here at Empire that Divock is owed a great deal more respect for his contributions at L4 than he’s been shown.
