Girard talks up Origi
Lille manager Rene Girard has continued to rave about his striker Divock Origi and has compared him to Everton duo Samuel Eto'o and Romelu Lukaku. Origi was signed by Liverpool after an impressive showing at the World Cup in Brazil, but has remained at the Ligue 1 outfit on loan for the season. Girard praised the 19-year-old for his performance in Thursday's Europa League tie where he turned out against his established compatriot Lukaku and African legend Eto'o. "I saw no difference in quality between Origi and Everton's Eto'o or Lukaku," the Lille boss said after the goalless draw at the Stade Pierre Mauroy. "We thought that it would be tight and it was tight. We will go to Everton in two weeks hoping to get a result there. "On the whole, we can be satisfied, we didn't lose. There are positive notes to take from tonight." After facing the young marksman, Everton midfielder Gareth Barry admitted he was a handful and backed him to shine when he officially joins the Reds next season. "He certainly surprised us with his pace and how direct he was in the first 15 minutes or so," Barry told the Liverpool Echo. "We'd seen a few clips but until you face someone you're not sure how sharp they are. I'm sure when his time comes in the Premier League he'll do a good job."
