Nottingham Forest v Crystal Palace - Premier League Divock Origi of Nottingham Forest is warming up ahead of kick-off during the Premier League match between Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace at the City Ground in Nottingham, England, on March 30, 2024. Nottingham Nottinghamshire United Kingdom PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxFRA Copyright: xMIxNewsx originalFilename:fletcher-nottingh240330_npizX.jpg
Divock Origi has found a new arena in which to test himself, and the former Liverpool striker, who walked away from professional football at the age of 31 in June, now spends his days a long way from the training pitches that shaped his career.
Origi confirmed his retirement on 8 June through a heartfelt social media post in which he thanked every club, coach and teammate, before closing with the words, “The mission is complete. Now I step into my next calling.”
The announcement came six months after he ended his contract with AC Milan in December, and as he had not played a competitive match since his loan spell at Nottingham Forest in the 2023/24 season, very few supporters expected him to return to the pitch.
That next calling has now come into focus, because Origi has enrolled at Harvard Business School in the United States and joined the Crossover Into Business programme, which helps professional athletes prepare for life after sport.
The course lasts a single semester and pairs each athlete with mentors from the Harvard Master of Business Administration (MBA) cohort, and although it does not lead to a full degree, it offers practical business grounding at one of the world’s most respected institutions.
Origi also discussed this new direction with DAZN Belgium on 25 October, when he attended Genk’s meeting with Standard Liège, and revealed that he is building DLF Sports, a football agency he owns with his business partner Marvin Willem Ofori, while he hopes his philanthropy can make him a bridge for the next generation of players.
Liverpool supporters will follow this path with plenty of affection, because Origi gave them some of the most unforgettable nights of the Jurgen Klopp era after Brendan Rodgers brought him to Anfield in 2014.
He scored 41 goals in 175 appearances for the club, with only 68 of them as starts, yet he still struck twice in the famous comeback against Barcelona before adding the second goal against Tottenham in Madrid to seal the 2019 Champions League final.
His six goals against Everton made him a Merseyside derby hero, and he left Anfield in 2022 with a Premier League title, a Champions League and an FA Cup among his honours, which explains why Klopp described him as “forever a Liverpool legend”.
Origi also won 32 caps for Belgium and scored three times at international level, but his Liverpool story will always define his playing career, and if he brings the same composure he showed on those great European nights to his studies and his new ventures, few at Anfield would bet against him.
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