Former Liverpool starlet Jordon Ibe heads abroad in latest move of bizarre career
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Jordon Ibe has had one of the most fascinating post-Liverpool careers of any player in the 21st century.The flying winger was once destined for big things at Anfield, with Jurgen Klopp taking him under the wing after joining in 2015.Having arrived with a big reputation as a 16-year-old from Wycombe Wanderers, Ibe made a reasonable impression at Liverpool, playing 58 times for the first team.Join our newsletter for news & smart analysis. There was disappointment when Klopp sold the then 20-year-old to Bournemouth in 2016 after amassing 41 appearances during the German’s first season as Liverpool manager.But Ibe failed to get going on the South Coast.
Although he ultimately played 92 times across four seasons, Ibe left in 2020. After dropping further down the divisions to Hayes & Yeading and then Hungerford Town, Ibe has now resurfaced in Europe once again.Photo by Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty ImagesJordon Ibe joins Lokomotiv SofiaIbe’s story is a rather sad one, with the former Liverpool man opening up on his struggles with depression after leaving Anfield.Once labelled as the heir apparent to Raheem Sterling, the now 29-year-old has had to deal with setback after setback in his career.READ MORE: Liverpool scouts spotted watching ‘fantastic’ loan player as recall rumours answeredA new chapter is set to start this weekend, though, with Bulgarian side Lokomotiv Sofia confirming the arrival of Ibe via their Facebook page.“Today, Jordan Ibe signed a contract with Lokomotiv (Sofia) until the summer of 2027!” the post reads.
“Ibe comes with an impressive business card – 58 games for Liverpool, 92 for Bournemouth and a total of 119 appearances in the English Premier League. “After a few difficult seasons, Jordan is ready to revive his career, and we all believe that this will happen at Locomotive!”Who are Lokomotiv Sofia?While playing the Bulgarian league before his 30th birthday was certainly not the plan for Ibe, it is nice to see he has been able to find a club despite his struggles.In Sofia, he has joined a relatively successful top division Bulgarian side, one with four league titles to their name.As the last of those championships arrived in 1978, it is fair to say that Lokomotiv are not the force they once were.With Ibe in the team, they will hope that those glory years could soon be coming around again.As for the former Liverpool winger, he will be hoping that he can make this one stick, and regain a place back in the footballing consciousness in England.