Divock Origi has vowed to re-launch his Liverpool career in 2018-19 after his season-long loan at Wolfsburg.
The Belgium international, 22, joined the Bundesliga outfit in the summer transfer window after dropping down the pecking order in Jurgen Klopp’s squad.
Origi, who has scored 21 goals in 77 matches for the Reds since arriving from Lille in 2015, found himself out of favour after the signing of Dominic Solanke from Chelsea left him fourth in the centre-forward mix, with Roberto Firmino and Daniel Sturridge also ahead of him.
However, the striker has cast aside doubts about his future by revealing he fully intends to be back at Anfield next season and prove himself at his parent club.
“You can’t expect for a youngster to perform consistently,” he told Belgian newspaper HLN, as quoted by the personal Twitter account of correspondent Kristof Terreur.
“It went with ups and with downs. I scored 21 goals in two years. Not bad.
“I’ve learned a lot at Liverpool. It’s still my plan to return after this season. But now I’m focusing on Wolfsburg.”
Divock Origi in @hlnsport: “You can’t expect from a youngster to perform consistently. It went with ups and with downs. I scored 21 goals in 2 years. Not bad. I’ve learned a lot at Liverpool. It’s still my plan to return after this season. But now I’m focusing on Wolfsburg.” #LFC pic.twitter.com/DyS6tsQSer
— Kristof Terreur ???? (@HLNinEngeland) October 4, 2017
OPINION
Origi’s summer exit seemed odd at the times, now it looks like a significant blunder by Klopp. True, he has not yet shaken up any trees at Wolfsburg, where his six appearances have yielded a single goal. But the 23-times international showed enough during his two seasons in the Liverpool first team to suggest he can develop into a top-class centre-forward. No supporter will forget how he struck fear into the hearts of the Borussia Dortmund and Valencia defences during the team’s memorable run to the 2016 Europa League final, and his combination of pace, power and all-round finishing marks him out as a forward to be reckoned with. As for Solanke leapfrogging Origi, that already looks a huge mistake by Klopp. The 20-year-old has done nothing yet to suggest he is an upgrade on the Belgian.