Joel Matip: Liverpool's forgotten centre-half could play a big role in final

Lost, amid the sublime composure of £75 million Virgil van Dijk, the fan-pleasing marauding runs of full-backs Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson and the promise of Joe Gomez, stands Joel Matip, the forgotten centre-half who may have as big a say in tomorrow’s Champions League Final as any Liverpool star.

It was not meant to be that way. The season opened with the 27-year-old centre-half almost an after-thought in the hearts and minds of supporters who had seen him miss the end of last term, and the final defeat to Real Madrid, with a hamstring injury.