Jurgen Klopp thankful ‘outstanding’ Joel Matip is seeing some luck this season

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Jurgen Klopp believes ‘outstanding’ Joel Matip is finally finding some luck at Liverpool this season. It’s been a tough couple of years.

Joel Matip has had some tough seasons since joining Liverpool. He’s had some magnificent ones, too, of course, but the last couple were particularly difficult.

The Cameroonian came out of Liverpool’s UEFA Champions League-winning season as Virgil van Dijk’s first-choice partner. He was fantastic, in fact, and even picked up a Player of the Month award. Injury struck, however, and Matip barely played over the last two years.

Matip played just 19 Premier League games across those seasons, starting 17. He just couldn’t escape injury and, as he moved into his 30s, there was a sense that things might start winding down for him.

Fortunately, that hasn’t been the case. Matip rebounded this year to play 17 Premier League games already, all starts. He’s been back to his best, too – we’ve arguably seen some of the best performances of his career.

It’s something Jurgen Klopp, in particular, is thankful for as his entire Liverpool defence appears to be on track.

Jurgen Klopp on Joel Matip at Liverpool

“Life without luck is really difficult,” Klopp told a Wednesday press conference. “Footballers need luck as well and I hope we stay a little bit more lucky than we were the last few years

“Because these boys are incredible talents.”

“Joel is an outstanding player, I think,” he went on to say. “Which are the best-ever signings on a free transfer? I can imagine it would be a really close race between Millie and Joel.

“They both came for free and are absolutely out-out-outstanding players. I don’t think what we reached in the last few years would have happened without them.”

We’d certainly put Matip in that ‘outstanding player’ bracket, too. Injuries have been so cruel to him since 2019, especially last year when he was the one remaining centre-back.

But things look good now – very good. Long may this luck continue because with Matip at the back, Liverpool look capable of fighting on four fronts in 2022.