On 7 November 2009, in his first Bundesliga match, an 18-year-old Schalke 04 centre-back headed the equaliser away at Bayern Munich in a 1-1 draw and was named man of the match. He was Joël André Matip Job, born on 8 August 1991 in Bochum, Germany, to a German mother and the former Cameroonian footballer Jean Matip. Standing 1.95 metres tall, he spent his whole career at centre-back with two clubs, Schalke 04 and Liverpool, and played international football for Cameroon.
Growing up in the Ruhr
Matip started playing in 1995 at SC Weitmar 45, a local club in Bochum. In 1997 he joined the VfL Bochum youth set-up, staying until 2000, when he moved into the Schalke 04 academy and completed his development there. He attended the Gesamtschule Berger Feld, the Gelsenkirchen school linked to the club’s academy. Football ran in the family: his brother Marvin Matip also turned professional and played for Cameroon, as did his cousin Joseph-Désiré Job. In 2009 he stepped up to the first team.
Seven seasons at Schalke 04
His first competitive outing in Schalke blue came for the reserves on 27 October 2009, against Saarbrücken in the Regionalliga. Eleven days later came the debut in Munich and the goal against Bayern, which earned him a place in the first-team defence. In 2010-11 he won the DFB-Pokal, adding the DFL-Supercup in 2011. At Schalke he played at centre-back and at times as a holding midfielder. Between 2009 and 2016 he made 258 competitive appearances and scored 23 goals, 194 games and 17 goals of them in the Bundesliga. On 15 February 2016 Liverpool announced a pre-contract agreement, with Matip joining on a free transfer once his Schalke deal expired.
Liverpool: Champions League and Premier League
He made his Liverpool debut on 23 August 2016 in a 5-0 League Cup win over Burton Albion and scored his first goal on 29 October that year in a 4-2 win at Crystal Palace. Injuries shaped several of his seasons: thigh surgery in March 2018, a broken collarbone in December of the same year and ankle ligament damage in January 2021. Even so, he was a regular partner for Virgil van Dijk under Jürgen Klopp. In the 2019 Champions League final he set up Divock Origi’s second goal as Liverpool won the 2018-19 Champions League. A year later came the 2019-20 Premier League title.
On 17 May 2022 he scored the winner in a 2-1 victory at Southampton that took the title race to the final day. That September he headed home against Ajax for his first Champions League goal for Liverpool. In December 2023 he ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee, and on 17 May 2024 the club confirmed he would leave at the end of the season. He finished his time at Anfield with 201 appearances and 11 goals in all competitions.
Cameroon international
Eligible for two countries, Matip chose Cameroon on 2 March 2010 and made his debut the following day in a friendly against Italy. That summer he travelled to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, and in 2014 he played twice at the World Cup in Brazil. On 23 June 2014 he scored his only international goal, against Brazil in a 4-1 defeat. He won 27 caps in total. In 2017 he turned down a call-up for the Africa Cup of Nations, which led to a dispute with the Cameroonian federation that went to FIFA.
Playing style
A tall centre-back who was calm in possession, Matip was known for carrying the ball out from the back, something rare for a defender of his size. His aerial ability brought him set-piece goals in both leagues he played in, from the header on his debut in Munich to the one against Ajax in 2022. His spells in midfield at Schalke gave him a reading of the game that Klopp used to start attacks from defence.
Retirement and honours
With Schalke 04 he won the 2011 DFB-Pokal and the 2011 DFL-Supercup. With Liverpool he won the 2019 Champions League, the 2019 UEFA Super Cup, the 2020 Premier League, the 2022 FA Cup, the League Cup in 2022 and 2024 and the 2022 Community Shield. Without a club after leaving Anfield, he announced his retirement from football on 12 October 2024.
