Name: Joel Matip
Position: Centre Back
Number: 32
Born: Bochum, Germany – 08/08/1991
Big Joel joined the Redmen in the summer of 2016 on a free transfer from Schalke in Germany. Monitored by Klopp when coach of Dortmund he quickly became a target after he took over the reigns at Anfield.
Matip was signed on a free transfer in the summer of 2016 at the end of his Schalke contract. Despite this Liverpool fans suspected that he would walk into the first team right away, and he did, but multiple injuries and mixed performances in Liverpool’s shaky defence would see him fall behind the colossal VVD and a resurgent Joe Gomez during the first half of the 2018/2019 season.
An injury to Gomez would see Matip re-enter the fray and play his best football since joining Liverpool. He would go on to partner VVD as Liverpool came within a point of Manchester City for the Premier League title and won the Champions League.
Matip now seems to have replaced Joe Gomez as first choice centre back alongside VVD as his good form has continued into the 19/20 season and he will be hard to shift from that spot.
