Divock Origi: You haven't seen my full potential yet

The 21-year-old moved to Anfield full-time last summer after spending his first year as a Red back on loan at former club Lille, finishing up 2015-16 with a tally of 10 goals in 33 appearances.

This time around, Origi has already struck twice in six games to date going into this weekend’s latest clash with Hull City at Anfield - and his sights are firmly set on making a bigger contribution to Liverpool’s cause over the next eight months.

Speaking to Liverpoolfc.com at Melwood, the striker said: “This year it’s about establishing myself. I think people see potential in me and I am also confident in myself.

“Of course you want to play, but to play you have to deserve it. It comes with the work off the pitch in training, but also in the minutes you get because you have to maximise them.

“I never hide my ambition – I want to become a big player for Liverpool one day and I know it can come soon if I work hard. I am young, but I am confident about my qualities and know I can bring something to the team.

“The manager knows my quality, my teammates know my quality and I think the fans haven’t seen the full potential of Divock yet, so that’s an exciting thing and I have to use that for the future.”

Watch our exclusive interview with Origi above

Origi knows improvement isn’t something that comes without putting in the graft at Melwood.

Naturally, much of that comes out on the training pitches, running through physical and tactical drills with the club’s coaching staff; however, the Belgium international is seeing the benefits of examining every aspect of his professional football life with the help of the backroom team.

He explained: “I just try to maximise every situation. When I get the ball, every situation, every minute, every second, I try to maximise it.

“Then it will come naturally. Of course, I try to aim high but we will see. You have to look at it step by step. My next step now is to get more game time and hopefully it’ll be OK for me for the rest of the season.

“But I am also improving a lot in my way of maintaining a professional footballer’s life. You have to make steps in everything and I am seeing more details and trying to work on more things on the pitch and off the pitch. I feel I am becoming a more complete footballer.

“As I said, the most important thing is to play but to play you have to deserve it and at a big club like Liverpool you have to work a lot to earn your spot in the team. I am sure I can bring a lot to the team; I am here with a positive mindset, I am very hungry and ready to show myself.”

Origi does not just work on his game while inside the walls of Melwood – the No.27 is also using time at home to study and fine-tune his talents.

He continued: “[I analyse myself] a lot. For example, after the Chelsea game, when I got home that night I couldn’t sleep so I watched the game in full again.

“You analyse how you could do things better and the things you do well, you try to do them again. That’s the only way you can make steps and that’s very important.”

Origi faces stiff competition each and every matchday to earn a place in Liverpool’s starting line-up, given the wealth of attacking talent Jürgen Klopp has at his disposal.

But in keeping with the youngster’s positive frame of mind, he sees that as something to embrace and use to his advantage by studying his teammates as he continues to look to hone his all-round game.

“A lot of it is about learning and I have to use every possibility to learn,” he states. “I learn every minute in training, in every game and I play with world-class, established players that have already taken the steps I want to make.

“The manager also knows how to work with younger players. But I don’t think age has to limit me – everybody knows I am still young, but I just have to give everything and I am sure I can bring something positive to the team.

“Ever since I turned professional, I have always seen a lot of competition – with the national team and even more with Liverpool. It’s normal because it’s a big club, but the fact you’re here means a lot and all of these big players have qualities, so you push each other to hopefully achieve great things.

“It’s a very good thing, we have to use this as a group and stay strong together with the supporters and the club. You have to push each other. I have never seen a family club like this – a club so solid like this. We can use this to achieve great things together.”

The togetherness within the Liverpool squad is something Origi is eager to highlight, pointing to the post-match celebrations at Chelsea last Friday night as an indication of the camaraderie that exists between the players and staff.

“You could see everybody smiling,” he reflected. “The main objective for everybody is to win every game.

“Of course, everybody wants to play and that’s a very, very good thing to have in a team and the manager knows that.

“But we want to help each other and the supporters want to help us, which is a very, very big help to us. We have to continue like this.”