Joel Matip is a Cameroonian professional footballer who plays for English Premier League (EPL) side Liverpool FC. Matip comes from a house with a bit of footballing pedigree as other members of his family have been involved in the sport in the past. We’ll discuss his body stats, along with other facts you might not know about one of Anfield’s centre-backs.
Joel was born on August 8, 1991 in Bochum, Germany, the son of Eva-Maria and Jean Matip. His father Jean is Cameroonian and played for the national team. Her mother is German. Joel has a brother named Marvin.
Born in Germany, Matip began his youth career by joining SC Weitmar 45. He then joined VfL Bochum in 1997. After spending three years at VfL Bochum where he honed his defensive skills, he was quickly scouted by the biggest Gelsenkirchen team, Schalke 04.
Matip soon left Bochum, moving to Schalke and from there his career began to blossom. Matip made his professional debut for Schalke in a clash against FC Saarbrücken. His debut for the German top flight saw him deliver a man of the match performance against Bayern Munich on 7 November 2009. He completed this impressive performance with a goal. Matip was a constant feature of Schalke teams from the 2009-10 season to the 2015-16 season. He spent seven seasons at the Veltins Arena, making 194 league appearances and scoring 17 goals. His total number of appearances for Schalke 04 stands at 258 amassing a total of 23 goals.
When his contract with Schalke expired in the summer of 2016, he moved to the red side of Merseyside to join Liverpool after signing a pre-contract deal earlier in the year. He made his debut for Liverpool in a 5-0 scuffle against Burton Albion in a League Cup match in August 2016. His first Liverpool goal came when he scored against Crystal Palace in a match championship on October 29.
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He ended his first season making 32 appearances and scoring just one goal. In his next season he scored his only legitimate goal of the campaign in a 4-1 win over West Ham United. Matip later succumbed to a thigh injury which required surgery to correct, which would have ruled him out for the rest of the season, including Liverpool’s run to the Champions League final. He finished the season with 35 appearances and one goal.
Joel Matip made his national team debut as an 18-year-old. He chose to play for his father’s native country, Cameroon and not Germany. His debut came in the match against Italy at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. He participated in the 2014 World Cup, but when he was called up for an international position for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations, Matip chose not to go. At the beginning of 2017, Matip was engaged in a dispute with his national federation, which led to certain disciplinary measures against him.
Height, weight, measurements
For a modern center back, height is an important factor and plays a crucial role in aerial duels. For a defender his size, Joel Matip is very accomplished with the ball at his feet and elegant in possession. Matip stands at an impressive height of 6ft 5in and weighs 89kg.
Other Facts About Joel Matip
- Matip is one of his club’s tallest players, standing well over 6ft to be exact – 6ft 5in
- Joel has an older brother named Marvin Matip. Marvin plays for German side, Ingolstadt and also plays as a centre-back.
- Just like Joel, his older brother also represented the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon.
- Marvin and Joel aren’t the only members of their family to don the national colours, their cousin Joseph-Desire Job has earned more than 50 caps in an international career that has spanned more than a decade.
- He has averaged a goal every 10 games at Schalke 04 which is a decent return for the centre-half.
- At the time of his signing from Liverpool, he was the second Cameroonian to play for the Reds after national icon, Rigobert Song.
- He launched his professional at the age of 18 with a goal in his debut.
- Matip beat his current manager, Jurgen Klopp in a cup final when Schalke beat Borussia Dortmund on penalties to win the 2011/12 DFL Supercup.