 Matip at practice with Schalke in 2011. | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Joël Job Matip | ||
| Date of birth | 8 August 1991 | ||
| Place of birth | Bochum, Germany | ||
| Height | 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) | ||
| Playing position | Defender | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Schalke 04 | ||
| Number | 32 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1994–1997 | SC Weitmar 45 | ||
| 1997–2000 | VfL Bochum | ||
| 2000–2009 | Schalke 04 | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2009–2011 | Schalke 04 II | 4 | (1) |
| 2009– | Schalke 04 | 118 | (11) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2010– | CameroonAllemagne | 16 | (0) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 23 November 2013.
† Appearances (Goals).
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 17 June 2013 | |||
Joël Job Matip (born 8 August 1991) is a German-Cameroonian footballer currently playing for Schalke 04.
Career
Born in Bochum, Matip began his career with SC Weitmar 45, and was eventually scouted by VfL Bochum in 1997.[1] After several years in VfL Bochum's different youth teams, Matip was scouted by Schalke 04 in July 2000.[2] He made his professional debut on 17 October 2009 in the Regionalligaagainst 1. FC Saarbrücken,[3] before making his Bundesliga debut on 7 November 2009 against Bayern Munich, in which he scored the game-tying goal.[4] He was subsequently named Man of the match.[5]
On 2 March 2010, Matip signed a three-and-a-half-year contract with Schalke 04.[6]
On 23 February 2013, Matip scored both goals as Schalke secured an important 2–1 victory over Fortuna Düsseldorf, securing the club's second win in 12 games.[7]
International career
Matip was called up on 23 December 2009 by the Cameroon national football team[8] for the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations but he later on declined to take part in the tournament.[9] It was not yet clear if Matip would represent Cameroon in the future as the German Football Association still hoped that he might represent his country of birth instead.[10] On 6 January 2010, Rainer Adrion announced the annulment of his nomination for the Nations Cup.[11] On 2 March 2010, Matip opted to play his international football for Cameroon, after meeting up with the national team ahead of Wednesday's friendly against Italy on 3 March 2010.[12] He made his first national cap in friendly match against Italy and went on to play in the2010 FIFA World Cup.[13]
Personal life
Matip was born to a German mother[14] and former Cameroonian footballer Jean Matip.[15] He is the brother of the German football player Marvin Matip[16] and is a cousin of Joseph-Désiré Job.[17] Matipgraduated from the Gesamtschule Berger Feld in Gelsenkirchen in 2010.
