Liverpool’s Joel Matip plans retirement

Liverpool defender, Joel Matip, has announced plans to retire from professional football.

According to a post on Fabrizio Romano’s X handle on Friday, the decision would follow after leaving Liverpool as a free agent in the summer.

The player picked up a severe injury late in 2023, ruling him out for the majority of the campaign.

It meant he was completely unable to play a role in Jurgen Klopp’s farewell tour.

The Cameroonian was one of 11 players allowed to leave Liverpool on the expiry of his contract but is the only one yet to decide his next move.

With Thiago retired and the likes of Adrian, Mateusz Musialowski, and Melkamu Frauendorf joining new clubs on free transfers, the 33-year-old has been weighing his options.

Matip began his professional career with Schalke 04 in 2009 and was part of their teams that won the DFB-Pokal and DFL-Supercup in 2011.

He totalled 258 competitive appearances and 23 goals before moving to Liverpool on a free transfer in 2016, where he won the UEFA Champions League in 2019, starting in the final. He also won the 2019 UEFA Super Cup and the 2019–20 Premier League

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