Former Liverpool defender Joel Matip has announced his retirement from football following his departure from Anfield this summer.
Matip joined Liverpool from German club Schalke in 2016 and made 201 appearances during his eight-year tenure with the Reds. The Cameroonian defender enjoyed considerable success, winning five major trophies, including the Champions League and Premier League in consecutive seasons.
Known for his tall stature and ability to confidently advance the ball from defense, Matip formed a formidable center-back partnership with Virgil van Dijk, earning cult status among fans. Unfortunately, he was limited to just nine appearances in his final season due to a crucial ligament injury sustained against Fulham in December 2023.
After his contract with Liverpool expired, Matip decided to retire, following in the footsteps of Thiago Alcantara, who also hung up his boots this summer after leaving the club.
Jurgen Klopp, who departed Anfield after nine years as manager, paid tribute to Matip upon his exit from the club.
“In all the years I have been involved in football, I am not sure I have come across too many players who are more loved than Joel Matip,” the German manager stated. “I’m not even sure it would be possible to say anything bad about him. He is a wonderful professional, a wonderful footballer, and a wonderful human being – we have been blessed to have him with us for as long as we have.”
Klopp emphasized Matip’s contributions, saying, “Joel’s qualities as a player are there for all to see, and as a club, we have benefited from them since the moment he joined. I don’t think he’s had too many headlines over the years, but he has only ever been a very famous figure within our group. If there was one person who wouldn’t care if he was underrated, it would be Joel, but the truth is we could not have rated him more highly.”
Before joining Liverpool, Matip made 258 appearances for Schalke, where he helped the team win the DFB Pokal and the German Super Cup.r
