Liverpool centre-back Joel Matip has hinted at a desire to stay at the club beyond his current contract that is due to expire at the end of the season.
Matip was one of Jurgen Klopp’s first signings at Liverpool, having penned a pre-contract agreement in February 2016 ahead of a free transfer that summer.
Now 32, he has made close to 200 appearances for the club, with 2023/24 his eighth season. Injuries have meant it hasn’t always been plain sailing and he isn’t a starter when everyone is fit and available, but Matip has served Liverpool throughout their most successful period since the 1980s.
“Of course, Schalke was my youth club. As a Schalke fan it was an absolute honour to play there. I had the opportunity to do that for a long time and here in Liverpool, with these absolute top conditions, you don’t just walk away,” he told Sky Sport Germany.
“I also feel incredibly comfortable here in my private life. I think it’s desirable not to change clubs all the time. But everyone has to decide for themselves. In any case, I find consistency helpful.”
Matip has even he would be happy to retire at Liverpool, or at the very least only return to Schalke should the time come for him to leave Anfield.
“I’m at an age where I don’t think so much about the future anymore,” he said. “I try to make the most of every day and don’t look too far ahead. If it was only these two clubs [Schalke and Liverpool] in the end, I would be perfectly happy. But in football, you never know exactly.”
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