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Years spent managing academy sides means that Brendan Rodgers is down with what the kids find popular these days. From backwards caps to fresh new ice creams, Rodgers knows what the kids like and what they like is texting. Lots and lots of texting from their manager while they're away on loan in foreign countries.
"The Liverpool manager regularly sends me a text message," said Divock Origi on his manager's attempts to stay in contact with his youthful player diaspora. "They follow me and scouts attend all my games. Rodgers wanted to add me to his squad immediately, but Lille wanted me to stay for 1 more season. I had no choice.
"It's not that I don't want to go to Liverpool, I have ambitions. But it's an advantage I'm at Lille for a season where I can continue to develop and play a lot. That's the positive side of the story."
There was some concern over Origi's enthusiasm — or perceived lack thereof — for moving to Merseyside after he took a measured amount of time weighing his options after the World Cup, as one might normally be inclined to do when making a major career move. That the player is looking for silver linings in his current situation should speak volumes about his desire to get dug in at Liverpool, and assuage any lingering feeling that he's blasé about his new-next-year club.
Despite his enthusiasm for getting involved lickety split, the Belgian isn't nearly as concerned about Liverpool's current striker situation as many fans are, or at the very least he has the diplomatic decency to not verbalize said concerns.
"[Mario] Balotelli is a great player and Daniel Sturridge scored a lot of goals last season," Origi explained. "On that level I do not think they will have a lot of problems. Of course it is nice that Rodgers wants me there though."
Indeed, it's nice to feel wanted!
