Former Liverpool defender Joel Matip has retired from football at the age of 33.
The Cameroonian centre-back has made 201 appearances for the club since joining from Schalke in 2016, winning numerous accolades at Anfield, including the 2019 Champions League and 2020 Premier League, as well as earning 27 international caps. .
He suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury in the game against Fulham in December, and left the club at the end of last season.The game against Fulham was his last game.
Matip was one of the players Jurgen Klopp signed during his first summer window at Liverpool in 2016. Known for his ability to dribble the ball out of defence, the tall centre-back eventually achieved cult hero status among Liverpool fans. He was transferred on a free transfer and later formed a strong defensive partnership with Virgil van Dijk.
Manager Klopp expressed his condolences in May of this year when it was decided that Matip would leave Liverpool. “In all the years I have been involved in football, I have rarely met a player as loved as Joel Matip,” said the former manager. “I don’t even know if I can say anything bad about him.
“He was a great professional, a great football player and a great human being. We are lucky to have him with us for as long as he has. I agree, and as a club we have benefited from that from the moment he arrived. I don’t think he’s made too many headlines over the years, but he’s a great player. I’ve said before that if there’s one person I don’t mind being underrated, it’s Joel, but the truth is, I couldn’t rate him more highly. That means I couldn’t do it.”
