Joel Matip’s much-anticipated exit has been confirmed by Liverpool, with Jurgen Klopp highlighting a crucial moment from the centre-back that he feels had profound implications for the club.
Centre-back Matip arrived at in 2016 to help shore up a long-standing problem position at Anfield, going on to play 201 goals in all competitions injury an injury-riddled eight years at the club.
Jurgen Klopp highlights favourite Joel Matip moment
With his contract set to expire this summer and no renewal in sight, we’d all kind of figured out that the Cameroon international would be off this summer.
Matip has not played since suffering an ACL injury in December 4-3 win over Fulham and undergoing surgery.
But has hailed Matip as ‘a wonderful professional’ who he ‘could not have rated more highly’ for his influence on the training ground and on the pitch.
The German particularly fondly remembered Matip’s contribution in Liverpool’s 2019 Champions League final.
The Reds had led for almost the entire game after winning a penalty in the first minute, duly put away by Mo Salah, but were unable to truly put the game to bed until the 87th minute, when Matip poked a frenetic set piece in the direction of an unmarked Divock Origi for the Belgian to finish off.
“If I had to choose one moment from his time here it would definitely be his assist for Divock Origi at the Champions League final in Madrid.
“This was the touch that detonated an explosion in the LFC family. What a moment. What a player.”
