Joel Matip announces plans for retirement

Liverpool defender Joel Matip has announced plans to retire from professional football after his departure from the club as a free agent in the summer of 2024.

The news, shared by football journalist Fabrizio Romano on Friday, reveals that Matip’s decision comes after a difficult season in which a severe injury in late 2023 sidelined him for most of the campaign.

The 33-year-old Cameroonian defender, unable to play a part in Jurgen Klopp’s final season as Liverpool manager, was one of 11 players released at the end of their contracts.

While former teammates like Thiago have retired and others such as Adrian, Mateusz Musialowski, and Melkamu Frauendorf have secured new clubs, Matip has been weighing his options, eventually deciding to step away from the game.

Matip’s professional career began in 2009 with Schalke 04, where he won the DFB-Pokal and DFL-Supercup in 2011 before joining Liverpool in 2016, where he played a key role in their success over the years.

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.