The Belgian player retired early

Divock Origi has swapped his football boots for books. The former Liverpool star has enrolled at Harvard University just five months after retiring.

At 31, the ex-Belgium forward is studying at Harvard Business School in the United States, having called time on his playing career last June.

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He has joined Harvard's "Crossover Into Business" programme, which helps professional athletes build their business knowledge and prepare for life after retirement.

Running for a single semester, the programme pairs participants with mentors drawn from MBA students. The focus falls on practical business skills rather than a full university degree.

Origi has plenty of ambitions beyond the game, with the fashion industry high on his list. He is also developing a football agency called "DLF Sports", in partnership with Marvin William Ofori.

His passion for the new venture is no secret. "I'm really committed to practising fashion as a craft," he told the British newspaper "The Sun".

The former Milan forward wants to learn the history of the industry and, in time, work alongside some of the world's most prominent designers.

Away from the pitch he may be, but Origi still lives in the memory of Liverpool fans. He was one of the most influential players of the Jürgen Klopp era across seven successful years at Anfield.

The man of decisive goals

Origi arrived from France's Lille in 2014 for around 10 million pounds and made his name scoring decisive goals. The most famous of them came against Everton in December 2018, a thrilling 96th-minute winner after a howler from goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.

His finest moments in a Liverpool shirt arrived during the historic comeback against Barcelona in the 2019 Champions League semi-final. He scored twice in the 4-0 win at Anfield, including the decisive fourth from a quick corner taken by Trent Alexander-Arnold. Barcelona had won the first leg 3-0 at home.

He struck again in the final, netting the second in Liverpool's 2-0 win over Tottenham in Madrid as his side were crowned champions of Europe.

A year later, the Belgian forward was part of the squad that won the Premier League in 2020, ending Liverpool's 30-year wait to reclaim the title.