Eye on the ball: Joel Matip says Liverpool must be focused as Spurs can strike at any time

Joel Matip has forgotten our interview. By the sea near Marbella it’s a cloudless day and he has wandered off for a coffee in town. He is all apologies when he returns and, an hour later, after we’ve talked about being Liverpool’s new cult hero, his sudden Beckenbauer-esque tendencies, about muzzling Lionel Messi, he is still apologetic - as if sorry about the compliments suddenly coming his way.

“I’m happy I could show [fans] that I have a lot to show and that I am a, eh, a quite good player,” he ventures and that’s as far as embracing acclaim as he will go.

Cult hero means “surprise hero” I explain. “Good,” he almost cringes. “If you’re going to surprise people, better do it in