Former Liverpool striker Michael Owen has explained why he'd be upset with Jurgen Klopp if he was Divock Origi, after the Belgian came to the rescue against Everton.
Origi may not be a regular starter in the Liverpool side but he has certainly been involved in some crucial moments under Klopp. Along with the six Merseyside derby goals, Origi was also integral to Liverpool's Champions League win in 2019, and he may still have one final moment up his sleeve this season.
The Belgian is rumoured with a move away from Liverpool this summer despite his consistent record in big moments. And that's exactly why Owen said he'd be upset with the Liverpool boss if he was Origi.
Being left out of Liverpool's front-line is hardly an insult, especially with the attacking talent that they have in their ranks. But Owen has admitted that he would be angry with Klopp if he was in Origi's position due to his lack of playing time.
Speaking on Premier League Productions, Owen said: "If I was a centre-forward and I came on so many times to save my manager, yet he never played me and he only brought me on occasionally, then I wouldn’t be giving the manager such a big cuddle. You just know how much that man means to all of those Liverpool players and how much it means to those fans."
The game in question is one of the biggest Premier League fixtures of them all, as Liverpool took on Everton at Anfield on Sunday. The Reds struggled until Origi was brought on, and their opening goal quickly followed before the Belgian headed in a second.
However, although Origi's game time may suggest that he may be undervalued by Klopp, it couldn't be any further from the truth. The German has been calling Origi 'world-class' for many years, and has even labelled him as a Liverpool legend.
Speaking after the Merseyside derby win, Klopp said: "We will never miss a player like him because if he leaves, he will explode wherever he goes. He is a world-class striker, he is a legend and will stay a legend forever.
"He doesn't always make the squad which is ridiculous, but he is there when we need him every time. He was involved in both games; everything that we did in the second half, without Divock, wouldn't have happened."
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And Klopp also paid tribute to the other Liverpool players on the fringes, as he called the stars that don't always play 'the strongest players ever'. Klopp added: "The group lives because of the boys that don't always play, they are the strongest players ever.
"[Alex] Oxlade-Chamberlain, [Harvey] Elliot, [Takumi] Minamino, even Rhys Williams. They are in great shape, but the way they behave is why we do these kind of things."
With Liverpool still in all competitions, rotation will be essential between now and the end of the season. And there may be more unlikely heroes if Liverpool taste further success before the summer.
