Sensational defender confirms he's the next Joel Matip

An exciting defender has confirmed he's the next Joel Matip.

We all loved the Cameroonian at Anfield. One of the most unique traits of Matip’s game at Liverpool was his deceptively elegant ability to surge forward with the ball.

He was tall and lanky and he did not look like a traditional dribbler, yet he had a remarkable knack for gliding past opponents with long, loping strides. When space opened up ahead of him, Matip was excellent at exploiting it and breaking opposition lines.

Matip seemed to sense exactly when midfielders were marked or when an opponent had stepped out of shape. Rather than playing a safe sideways pass, he would advance into the gap himself.

His goal against Leeds United in 2022 perfectly captured this quality - stepping out from the back, driving into space, and finishing calmly.

Few defenders could do what he did on a regular basis. Liverpool haven't really replaced him ever since he left. But now they could.

Not since Matip's goal against Leeds have we seen as impressive of an individual run as that of Dylan Lawlor for Cardiff against Doncaster last weekend.

The 20-year-old Welsh centre-back started just outside his own penalty area when he received the ball and decided to go on a rampage.

Lawlor turned into prime Diego Maradona as he waltzed through the League One side's defence and calmly slotted the ball into the back of the net.

It was yet another sensational moment in Lawlor's rapidly ascending career. He's established himself as one of the best young centre-backs in the EFL and has also become a regular at international level for Wales.