“My purpose is fulfilled”: Divock Origi retires from football | OneFootball

Ollie Whitmore, Chief football news reporter

Former Liverpool striker Divock Origi said his “purpose as a player is fulfilled” while announcing his retirement from professional football.

The pinnacle of the 31-year-old’s career came when he scored the winner against Tottenham in the 2018/19 Champions League final, before becoming a Premier League winner in the following season under Jurgen Klopp.

The Belgian, who also represented Lille, VfL Wolfsburg, AC Milan, and Nottingham Forest and scored three goals in 32 caps for his country, said his time in the sport “was a joy” that “shaped me in ways that go far beyond the pitch”.

In an Instagram post published on Monday afternoon, he said: “My purpose in the game as a player is fulfilled. I lived out my childhood dreams to play on the biggest stages and win the biggest trophies. I am grateful to God for all of it.“To my fans across the world who helped me shine: every iconic moment, every goal, every piece of history we made together will forever be ours.“To every club, and all the coaches and teammates who stood beside me, thank you. You shaped me in ways that go far beyond the pitch. Representing Belgium, my nation, while carrying Kenya, my roots, was a joy.“And to my family and those closest to me… without you, I am not who I am today. I am forever grateful,” he added.

Liverpool also took to social media to congratulate the former Red on his professional career spanning 14 years, having provided their supporters with one of the most memorable moments over the past decade.

Origi began his career with Belgian side Genk, before moving onto Lille and scoring on his competitive debut against Troyes and securing a £10m move to Liverpool on the 29th of July, 2014.

Though he was immediately loaned back for the remainder of the season, he went on to make 107 appearances for the Reds, scoring 22 goals in his eight seasons at Anfield.

He found the net six times on his loan spell at Wolfsburg, the season before arrowing the winning goal in the Champions League final into the bottom right corner, and twice at AC Milan between 2022 and 2025.

The Belgian’s final spell would come at the City Ground on loan at Nottingham Forest, where he made 20 appearances without scoring a goal – yet it will not be the quantity of goals he scored throughout his career that made it so memorable for many fans.