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.
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.
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.
Down below you can see the official tweet from @FabrizioRomano confirming that the player is retiring from professional football:
