Roughly an hour’s drive from Wembley, where England and Italy meet tonight in a Euro 2024 qualifier, the player who gave Jurgen Klopp his first European win as Liverpool manager will be debuting for his new club.
It was just under eight years ago that Jordon Ibe netted the only goal as the Reds defeated Rubin Kazan 1-0 in a Europa League clash in Russia, the first of 50 victories the German has overseen with his current club in Europe (Transfermarkt).
However, while some of his teammates went on to win the biggest prizes in club football, the now 27-year-old finds himself at Ebbsfleet United, for whom he signed last weekend.
He’s due to debut for the National League outfit tonight in their FA Cup fourth qualifying round replay away to Slough Town, and he couldn’t be happier to take to the pitch at Arbour Park.
Speaking ahead of his impending bow with the Fleet, Ibe said (via talkSPORT): “I was speaking to my missus on the way to the game on Saturday and I said I feel like a kid again, going to football, because it’s been a while since I’ve put on club attire and gone to a matchday.
“It feels new but it’s not new because I’ve done it in the Premier League, so it’s refreshing. Not everyone gets a second chance but I’m lucky and grateful. This could have never happened and I’d be waiting for another club.
“I’ve missed playing a lot, especially just watching games and thinking ‘I could have done this’. It’s great just to even be on the training pitch, to be myself again.”
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The 19-year-old Ibe who scored Liverpool’s winner in Russia on that November 2015 night would have envisioned being at Wembley rather than Arbour Park tonight, but unfortunately his career hasn’t quite delivered upon the promise it showed in Klopp’s first few months at Anfield.
Having been sold to Bournemouth for £15m in 2016, he was released as a free agent four years later and, in 2021, he admitted to suffering from depression (BBC).
He’d been without a club for 15 months before signing for Ebbsfleet, and it’s fantastic to see him back in football and, most importantly, so happy to be back involved in the game.
Ibe was still deemed good enough to play 58 times for Liverpool (Transfermarkt), a feat of which almost every footballer on Earth could only dream, and he may well prove to be a tremendous asset for his new side.
Having gone through such dark times, we’d dearly love to see him enjoying himself once again at Ebbsfleet, who deserve credit for giving him an opportunity he’s evidently craving. Here’s hoping it works out brilliantly for him.