Joel Matip to take squad number from Liverpool youngster

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Liverpool officially registered Joel Matip as a player today, the first of his tenure as a Red having completed his Bosman deal from Schalke.

The centre-back has requested the no.32 ahead of the 2016/17 campaign, the same number he wore for the majority of his Bundesliga career, reports the Echo.

The Cameroonian made his debut in Germany back in 2009, and established a reputation as one of the Bundesliga best defenders in the seven seasons that followed.

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Cameron Brannagan currently wears the no.32, but is happy to give it up for the incoming 24-year-old. Two years ago, Brannagan gave Lazar Markovic the no.50, but will now wear the no.25 having had his number pinched again!

Previous incumbents of the no.32 include Boudewijn Zenden, Stephen Darby and Richie Partridge – so there’s not much pedigree associated with it for Matip to live up to!

Here at EOTK, we cannot wait to see the African in action. He has the physicality and ability to shore up our defence, which struggled so badly to deal with set-pieces last term. There’s a chance Matip could be playing in front of an ex-Bundesliga rival if new signing Loris Karius ousts Simon Mignolet between the sticks. Karius arrived from Mainz earlier in the summer, and now has pre-season to impress Klopp sufficiently

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