‘I’m a Liverpool hero but I'm stuck in exile and forced to train alone despite £3m contract’

Divock Origi has had a tumultuous word with AC Milan since parting ways with Liverpool successful 2022 connected a escaped transfer, with the striker yet to diagnostic for the Serie A giants this season

Divock Origi's travel with AC Milan has been a rollercoaster since helium waved goodbye to Liverpool successful 2022.

The talented guardant archetypal made waves astatine Lille, signing his archetypal pro woody backmost successful 2012. Liverpool, wowed by his imaginable aft 16 goals successful 89 games for the French side, forked retired a chill £10million for him successful 2014.

And during his eight-year stint astatine Anfield, the now-29-year-old deed the backmost of the nett 41 times and acceptable up 15 much successful 175 outings - adjacent nabbing some Premier League and Champions League glory arsenic a portion of Jurgen Klopp's squad. As his section with Liverpool successful the summertime of 2022, fans sent their heartfelt farewells arsenic Origi moved connected to AC Milan successful a escaped transportation - yet with precocious hopes for his future.

Milan handed Origi a hefty £3.4million (€4m) yearly paycheck until mid-2026, making him the second-biggest earner adjacent to Rafael Leao. Still, aft an injury-plagued accomplishment successful Italy, the Rossoneri faithful started questioning if helium was worthy the investment.

Through the turbulence, Milan fable and then-director Paolo Maldini defended him, saying: "Origi has everything to beryllium a large footballer. He has physique, technique, speed, shooting, right, left. Watching him successful training, we cognize what helium tin do," reports the Liverpool Echo.

Origi deed the crushed moving with a extremity and assistance successful his debut crippled against Monza backmost successful October 2022, but that aboriginal committedness fizzled retired arsenic helium struggled for signifier - scoring lone 2 goals successful 27 appearances passim his archetypal play with Milan. Consequently, then-manager Stefano Pioli sanctioned a indebtedness determination to Nottingham Forest for the 2023/24 season, looking to rekindle Origi's form.

However, the striker's adust spell continued successful the midlands, failing to people successful 20 league matches, and helium returned to Milan this summertime facing uncertainty astir his career. In a large stroke delivered by Milan advisor Zlatan Ibrahimovic successful July, it was announced that Origi was chopped from the first-team squad, downgraded to grooming with the reserves - though helium has not stepped onto the transportation for immoderate squad since.

Ibrahimovic didn't mince words, explaining: "Divock Origi and [Senegalese defender] Fode Ballo-Toure are not portion of our plans. They volition beryllium portion of the younker squad [in Serie C] arsenic they're not included successful our project." Over the summer, determination were whispers of involvement from clubs successful Turkey and Saudi Arabia, but nary transportation materialized.

Out of the sporting limelight, Origi has been moving independently with a idiosyncratic manager and has besides stepped backmost from societal platforms, having not posted connected Instagram since his Tokyo sojourn earlier successful the summer. Meanwhile, fans person spotted him visiting Rome solo and enjoying a crippled of padel successful Florence.

The aboriginal is decidedly uncertain for Origi, who volition surely beryllium seeking regular archetypal squad shot astatine the earliest opportunity. He's anxious to instrumentality to the transportation arsenic helium navigates the twilight years of his nonrecreational career.

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