Joel Matip: Former Liverpool defender announces retirement aged 33 following Reds departure
Published 12/10/2024 at 11:22 GMT+1
Ex-Liverpool and Cameroon international Joel Matip, described as a "key figure" during The Reds' highly successful tenure under Jurgen Klopp, has retired from football. The Premier League club announced the news just a few months after Matip left Anfield as a free agent after eight years. During his time on Merseyside, Matip played 201 times and won the Premier League and UEFA Champions League.
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Liverpool have confirmed that former defender Joel Matip has retired from professional football following his Anfield departure at the end of the 2023/24 season.
Matip, 33, joined The Reds on a free transfer in 2016 after leaving German side Schalke 04 - the only other club he represented in his career - and spent a glittering eight years on Merseyside.
The former Cameroon international was described as a “key figure” throughout Jurgen Klopp’s reign as manager and helped Liverpool end their painful wait for a Premier League crown, playing nine times during their title-winning season in 2019/20.
A year earlier, he played a pivotal role in Liverpool’s UEFA Champions League success - the club’s sixth European title - and even grabbed an assist in the final in a 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur in Madrid.
The centre-back also claimed domestic cup success while in England and featured in both finals as Liverpool won the FA Cup and League Cup in 2022, while he also won the 2019 UEFA Super Cup and the FA Community Shield while at Liverpool.
Overall, he played 201 times for the Reds and was involved in 76 clean sheets across all competitions. He also popped up with 17 goals contributions - 11 goals and six assists.
Matip’s chapter at Liverpool came to a close at the end of last season after his contract expired, which meant he was available for a free transfer.
But after failing to find the right move, the veteran decided to call time on his playing career altogether.
Earlier in his playing days, there was controversy surrounding his international retirement after he decided to quit representing Cameroon in 2015 while still at Schalke.
Before he walked away from the national team set-up - where he reportedly cited a bad experience with the coaching staff - he racked up 27 caps for the Indomitable Lions.
His only goal came at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil when he scored against the host nation in a 4-1 group stage defeat.
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