Former Liverpool striker Divock Origi has announced his decision to retire from football at the age of 31.
The former Belgian forward began his career at Lille and also had spells at Wolfsburg, AC Milan and Nottingham Forest, but the most memorable moments of his career came during his time at Liverpool.
He scored 41 goals in 175 appearances for the Reds, although he will be greatly remembered for his brace in the 4-0 rout of Barcelona as they overturned a 3-0 defeat from the first leg of their semifinal clash.
Origi scored the goal that moved them ahead after a quick corner kick from Trent Alexander-Arnold that caught Barcelona off-guard and also found the net in the final win over Tottenham Hotspur.
“My purpose in the game as a player is fulfilled,” Origi said on social media.
“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.
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.”
“I have new purpose and other things in life I want to pursue with the same passion I’ve pursued football all these years,” he continued.
“For one, I’m really dedicated to pursuing fashion, as a craft. I’m already pouring myself into just gaining a ton more knowledge about the history and the industry. I aspire to study it at the highest level and hopefully have the opportunity to learn from some of the best designers in the world.”
Origi also made 32 appearances for Belgium including at the 2014 FIFA World Cup tournament, where he became the youngest Belgian goalscorer at the tournament and he scored three goals in total for his country.
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