Joel Matip retires! Centre-back calls time on career following Liverpool exit after injury-hit but trophy-laden eight years

Matip has announced his retirement from football at the age of 33, having left Liverpool at the end of last season. The centre-back spent eight years at the club, winning the Champions League, the Premier League, the FA Cup, the EFL Cup and the UEFA Super Cup. However, his spell with the Reds was eventually marred by repetitive injuries.

Matip sustained 16 injuries in total during his time with the Reds, the worst of which came in 2023-24, when he tore his anterior cruciate ligament. As a result, his final appearance for the club came in December of 2023, in a 4-3 win over Fulham.

Matip also played for Schalke between 2009 and 2016, winning the DFB-Pokal in 2011. He won a total of 27 caps for Cameroon between 2010 and 2015, scoring in the 2014 World Cup defeat to Brazil, but he retired from international duty while still playing in Germany.

It remains to be seen how Matip aims to spend his time after retirement. A potential move into coaching could well follow.