Joel Matip’s reason for early retirement from professional football has been revealed
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| LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - MAY 19: (THE SUN OUT, THE SUN ON SUNDAY OUT) Joel Matip of Liverpool showing his appreciation to the fans at the end of the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Anfield on May 19, 2024 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images) |
Liverpool‘s former defender Joel Matip who left the club in the summer has confirmed that he is retiring from professional football.
The player had 201 appearances for Liverpool after spending eight years in Merseyside under the ex-manager Jurgen Klopp who left the club in the same season as the player.
The 33-year-old scored 11 goals and provided 6 assists since his arrival in 2016, after leaving FC Schalke where he spent seven years in his early career before joining the English giants.
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| LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – MAY 19: (THE SUN OUT, THE SUN ON SUNDAY OUT) Joel Matip of Liverpool after the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Anfield on May 19, 2024 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Nick Taylor/Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images) |
Since his debut for Liverpool in 23 August of 2016 in the 5-0 win against Burton Albion in the 16/17 EFL Cup, the Cameroonian was the main defender under the German, starting in almost every match.
Matip left the club after he received a horrible injury during the 4-3 win against Fulham in Anfield, in which the player left the pitch in pain and had to undergo surgery after rupturing his ACL.
During his years at Anfield, the player won seven trophies which includes the UEFA Champions League triumph against Tottenham in the final in 2019. His next major achievement came in 2021 when Liverpool won their first Premier League title since the 89/90 season, with a club record of 99 league points.
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| LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 3: Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp greets Joel Matip as he is substituted due to an injury during the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Fulham FC at Anfield on December 3, 2023 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images) |
He also won the UEFA Super Cup in 19/20, two English Cups in 2022 and 2024, one English FA Cup in 2022 and one English Super Cup in 22/23.
The decision for early retirement was confirmed today after the player felt that he is not able to continue to keep his great form due to the serious injury that he received last season.
This news devastated all the Liverpool fans around the globe after he was one of the fan favorites since he joined the club. After leaving Merseyside, the player has been without a club since his contract with the Reds ended and months after he left, Matip has decided that the long adventure has come to an end.
His center-back partnership with Virgil van Dijk was really enjoyable during the years, becoming one of the best defending duos in the globe. There were rumors that the player could join other European teams after his time at Anfield has passed, but it seems that the best for the player is to end his career due to the injury.