Even though he is 33 and has had various injury issues recently, Joel Matip still has what it takes to perform at the highest level. That’s what Bayer Leverkusen representatives thought when they put the former Liverpool defender on their wishlist. However, as German media reported, the Cameroonian retired!According to Ruhr Nachrichten, the Bundesliga 2 side HSV (Hamburger Sport-Verein) were keen on bringing the defender. However, when one of the club’s scouts contacted him regarding the eventual deal, Matip rejected it with an explanation that he was done playing football?!🚨🚨| BREAKING: Joel Matip has RETIRED from professional football! 👋🇨🇲[@RN_S04] pic.twitter.com/FYJycW8DgT— CentreGoals. (@centregoals) October 11, 2024 What’s unusual is that he made no official announcement of his retirement, while the aforementioned paper claims the centre-back is a rather introverted person who doesn’t consider the information that important. Yet, the interested parties would have definitely used some piece of info or at least clarification since – apart from HSV – the Bundesliga champions, Bayer Leverkusen, were very interested in Matip as a replacement for Jonathan Tah (in case he had left), whereas several Premier League sides offered the 33-year-old to stay in the top tier of English football.When former Liverpool assistant manager Pepijn Lijnders said Joel Matip was the best free signing ever 👀 pic.twitter.com/LOJtCLQOGm— ESPN UK (@ESPNUK) October 11, 2024 Matip arrived at Anfield in 2016 as a free agent and devoted eight years to the Reds. He made 201 appearances at Liverpool and won six trophies, including a Premier League and a Champions League. He was very appreciated in England, and the statement of Jurgen Klopp’s assistant at the time and the current Red Bull Salzburg head coach, Pep Lijnders, that Matip was perhaps the best free signing ever speaks volumes.One of the first pearls of Klopp’s Liverpool says farewell to Anfield after eight amazing yearsApart from Liverpool, Matip only represented Schalke 04, where he started and built his career from youth categories to the senior squad. He played 258 matches for the Miners and won DFB Pokal (the German Cup) and DFL-Supercup (the German Super Cup).##NAJAVA_MECA_8405606##
