Joel Matip demonstrated the player he is by showing up Ibrahima Konate at Liverpool
Joel Matip's career is now over, but the Liverpool cult hero did not go away without a fight, as can be seen with his training ground destruction of Ibrahima Konate
Joel Matip was a steadfast part of the Liverpool set-up for eight years, joining from Schalke as one of Jurgen Klopp's first transfers, but after leaving the Reds has now hung up his boots for good.
While Virgil van Dijk may have filled the gap in the Reds' defence, Matip was holding back the tide before the Dutchman's £75million move from Southampton at the end of 2017. After parting ways with Liverpool at the end of his contract following an injury-plagued final season, Matip patiently awaited a new club to snap him up on a free transfer.
However, no club came forward, and despite links with Xabi Alonso at Bayer Leverkusen, Matip announced his retirement from football. Matip retires with a Premier League, Champions League, Club World Cup, an FA Cup winners' medal and two League Cup triumphs in his trophy cabinet.
He leaves many everlasting memories in the heads of his supporter base. However, one of the most iconic was the way in which he dismantled his younger counterpart and anticipated successor, Ibrahima Konate, in a classic example of how he outlived numerous potential defensive replacements at Anfield.
Having joined from RB Leipzig in 2021 with the reputation of being one of the world's top young defenders, Konate would have been keen to make a lasting impact on Klopp and his colleagues. He was vying with Matip and Joe Gomez to be Van Dijk's long-term defensive partner.
Matip, while welcoming, had no plans of surrendering his shirt to the Frenchman. Instead, the seasoned player put the £36m defender to shame, showcasing his skills to Klopp.
During a small-sided pre-season match, Matip effortlessly manoeuvred past his opponents and scored a brilliant goal. Shortly after, he moved forward again, this time easily bypassing Konate to score a second.
This was a typical display of Matip's tenacious determination. The ex-Cameroonian international constantly battled injuries but always strived to show his dedication to the team.
In 2016, Matip even declined an invitation to join the Cameroonian squad for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations, choosing to stay with the Reds instead. This sparked a fierce dispute between the club and the country, which eventually reached FIFA's doorstep.
Although he never played for his country again, he concluded his tenure at Liverpool with 201 appearances for the club. His final season ended in a painful manner, as an anterior cruciate ligament injury limited him to just 10 Premier League appearances.
Jurgen Klopp paid a heartfelt tribute to Joel Matip on the Liverpool website back in May, capturing the adoration he has earned at the club. He said: "In all the years that I have been involved in football, I am not sure I have come across too many players who are more loved than Joel Matip.
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"I'm not even sure it would be possible to say anything bad about him. 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 and now all we can do is wish him well as he heads off in a new direction."
His injury possibly deterred other teams from signing him on a free transfer. Given his refusal to relinquish his first-team spot for academy prospect Gomez and high-profile signing Konate, it's a tragic conclusion for an extraordinarily successful player.