Origi: My dream is to play in the English Premiership

Rio de janeiro

Belgium and Lille starlet Divock Origi has revealed it is a boyhood “dream” of his to play in the Premier League.

The 19-year-old has put in two impressive performances from the substitute’s bench at the World Cup, including scoring the winning goal against Russia, and has been linked with a number of European sides as a result.

But the teenager is hopeful he can follow a number of his international team-mates into the English game, and hinted that any move could come to fruition before the start of the 2014-15 campaign.

“As a little boy I always dreamed of playing in the Premier League but I’m still young and now I’m in an important tournament so I’m try to focus on the team,” he told reporters.

“Then my entourage will see with [Lille] what I’ll do.”

Origi also believes that Belgium’s qualification for the knockout stages after just two matches has shown the football world just what the team is capable of.

The Red Devils head into Thursday’s game against South Korea requiring just a point to top Group H, and the youngster believes the team are getting better as the tournament moves forward.

“It’s very special to play games like this and show we have talent in the group. It was also a special match as we showed in the last minute.

“Mentally we are stronger now and more confident.”

Meanwhile, Belgian Queen Mathilde embarrassingly mixed up Belgium’s strikers after the country’s 1-0 victory over Russia on Sunday, congratulating Romelu Lukaku for scoring the winning goal.

Lukaku made way after almost an hour for goalscorer, Origi, brushing off the offered hand of coach Marc Wilmots and muttering angrily on the bench.

Video of the royal encounter was shown by Dutch-language broadcaster VRT late on Monday evening. King Philippe and Mathilde were introduced to the players at a reception after the World Cup match in Rio de Janeiro. Lukaku had by that point calmed down.

“Bravo, really. And it’s for you, the goal too,” she said as she arrived at Lukaku. “No, he’s over there,” Lukaku responded, pointing towards Origi. “Well in any case you played very well,” concluded the queen.

Belgian daily De Standaard reported that the queen had later apologised for her slip-up, explaining to journalists travelling on her plane back to Belgium that her confusion was caused because Lukaku used to have dread locks. “He surprised me by having cut his hair,” she said. (Goal.com)