World Cup Predictions
Champion: Portugal
Golden Ball: Bruno Fernandes
Golden Boot: Igor Thiago
Golden Glove: Unai Simon
Young Player Award: Lamine Yamal
Most Assists: Bruno Fernandes
Losing Finalist: Germany
Letโs get it ๐จ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฆ
My purpose in the game is fulfilled โญ๏ธ
I lived out my childhood dreams, played on the biggest stages, won the biggest trophies. Grateful to God for all of it.
To all my fans, the clubs, my teammates and my family: this will forever be ours. Thank you.
The mission is complete. Now I step into my next calling.
More of the journey to come.
Love,
Divock Origi
Robertson open letter
It feels a bit self-important writing a letter like this, if Iโm honest. But when I was asked, I didnโt want to miss the chance to say thank you to a city and a community that has made me and my family feel like one of their own from day one.
Let me start with something that probably sounds more suited to a letter in The Herald back in Glasgow.
Iโm a proud Glaswegian. I always will be. I love telling people where Iโm from. Itโs part of who I am. Itโs where I was born, where I was raised and itโll forever be in my blood.
But after nine years here, Iโve realised thereโs room in my heart for two cities.
Liverpool will forever define a huge part of my life.
Honestly, I think the reason me and my family settled so quickly is because Liverpool reminded us so much of home.
The humour, the people, the mentality โ it all felt familiar straight away. At times it genuinely feels like Glasgow and Liverpool are only separated by two different accents.
Both cities have that working-class spirit. Pride. Defiance. People who say what they think. No airs and graces. What you see is what you get.
And more than anything, both places value honesty. Thereโs something real about Liverpool. People here can spot nonsense a mile off, and Iโve always respected that.
I know from the outside my connection to this city will always be tied to the football club and everything we achieved together. Of course Iโm immensely proud of that. How could I not be?
But for me and my wife, our bond with Merseyside goes much deeper than football.
Rachel and I arrived in 2017 as a young couple expecting our first child. Like me, Rach is fiercely proud of being from Glasgow. We actually went to school together, which probably tells you how long sheโs had to put up with me.
Looking back now, we probably underestimated how daunting it was โ moving to a new city, away from family, about to become parents for the first time.
But Liverpool instantly made us feel comfortable. And the incredible people at Liverpool Womenโs Hospital made us feel safe at a time in our lives where that meant everything.
Over the nine years, two became five. Liverpool is where our little team was built.
A lot of teammates โ mainly James Milner to be fair โ loved winding me up about being captain of Scotland while having three kids born in England. But Iโm always quick to correct them. Theyโre not English. Weโve got three proper little Scottish Scousers.
And honestly, we couldnโt be prouder of that.
The kids probably sum us up best really โ Glaswegians with a Liverpool passport.
My wider family feel exactly the same way about this city.
I have witnessed this club go from doubters to believers, and from believers to champions. It took hard work and I always did everything I could to help the club get there. Nothing makes me prouder than that.
Us crumbling to yet another defeat this season was very painful and not what our fans deserve. I want to see Liverpool go back to being the heavy metal attacking team that opponents fear and back to being a team that wins trophies. That is the football I know how to play and that is the identity that needs to be recovered and kept for good. It cannot be negotiable and everyone that joins this club should adapt to it.
Winning some games here and there is not what Liverpool should be about. All teams win games.
Liverpool will always be a club that means a great deal to me and to my family. I want to see it succeed for long after I have moved on.
As Iโve always said, qualifying to next seasonโs Champions League is the bare minimum and I will do everything I can to make that happen.