AC Milan forward Divock Origi has already come in for praise after leaving Liverpool this summer.
The praise comes from new Milan teammate Alessandro Florenzi. Speaking to Sky Sports Italia, Florenzi said the former Liverpool man has ‘great character and charisma.’
“They (new Milan signings) have already grown a lot. Even the purchase of Origi can bring us a lot, he is a player who will be respected,” said the Italy international.
“Forward we have great quality and experience, we are full with three players who can have their say on all fronts. I haven’t seen Origi on the pitch yet, but he has great character and charisma, he can help us a lot.”
That sounds like a good way to describe Divock. Even if he isn’t contributing on the pitch all the time, his character away from it still make him a valuable member of any squad.
Little pressure, but plenty of expectation on Divock
Liverpool fans will be keeping a very close eye on how Origi does after leaving Anfield. Over the last seven years, he has rarely been a starter for any great length of time.
It remains to be seen whether this will continue to be the case at his new club, too. He certainly has strong competition in Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Olivier Giroud. But being significantly younger than that pair, he’ll hopefully get plenty of chances.
Perhaps the best thing about Origi’s time at Liverpool was his ability to score from nowhere. The 27-year-old didn’t need a run of games to get into his rhythm. Origi was more than capable of coming into the side and scoring a brace off the bench having not played for months.
At Liverpool, that was fine. The fans, coaches and playing staff knew what they were getting from the Belgian. Moving to a new club, it could take some getting used to all round.
Hopefully, Origi gets the time he needs to show where his influence lies. Coming in on a free transfer, there won’t be the pressure on him that there could otherwise have been.
If he’s able to stay fit, he’ll surely prove to be one of the shrewdest signings of any recent transfer window.