Jordan Ibe’s wayfaring career is set to continue in Bulgaria as the former Liverpool starlet has joined Lokomotiv Sofia.
This latest move sees him leave eighth-tier club Sittingbourne FC just 17 days after signing up in a bid to ‘rediscover the joy of football’.
The 29-year-old – who commanded a club-record fee of £15million when Bournemouth signed him from the Reds in 2016 – will now be parachuted into a relegation battle in Bulgaria’s top flight.
Lokomotiv are the 11th different club of his career, and the third this year, and he unlocks a new nation after previously playing in England and Turkey.
He once played in front of capacity crowds at Anfield and was in the conversation for an England call-up but now he joins a side who average less than 1,000 fans per game.
It shows Ibe’s commitment to relaunching his career after admitting in 2021 that he had suffered with depression for four years.
Former Liverpool star Jordan Ibe, 29, has joined Bulgarian top division side Lokomotiv Sofia
He is a winger with enormous potential, having made his debut for Liverpool aged 15, scored on his first start at the same age, and made himself a regular for the Reds between 2014 and 2016.
Raheem Sterling was his mentor and Steven Gerrard even told England boss Roy Hodgson to keep an eye on him.
‘He is certainly a player we like very much and certainly a player we have our eyes on. It’s far from impossible that he will get called up in one of the next games,’ Hodgson said in 2015, though the senior cap never did come.
He has penned a two-year deal with Lokomotiv and will be hoping to make an impact after struggling to call any club home for the past few seasons.
‘After a few difficult seasons, Jordan is ready to revive his career, and we all believe that this will happen at Lokomotiv,’ a club statement said.
‘The management of Lokomotiv wishes Jordon Ibe much health, happiness and success with the red and black jersey.’
He has only played 11 minutes of professional football – for Derby County and Ebbsfleet United – since his contract expired at Bournemouth in 2020.
It was something of a surprise when Liverpool let him go in 2016 as he had been a highly regarded youngster. He registered four goals and seven assists in 58 appearances for the Merseysiders.
He was once a highly regarded youngster at Liverpool and in the England conversation
He was signed by the Cherries with high expectations but was unable to consistently reach the levels that people knew he was capable of, scoring five goals and managing nine assists in 92 appearances.
After leaving the South Coast club, he has had spells with Derby, Adanaspor in Turkey, Ebbsfleet, Hayes & Yeading, and Sittingbourne.
He told The Guardian of his ambitions earlier this year: ‘Continue football; reach the levels I know I can hit; give it that one last push/
‘I wouldn’t say I regret what’s happened. It’s changed me for the better. Football is not the main accomplishment in my life.
‘I have a deeper purpose; being a dad; being a great human being; being a brother; being a son. More meaningful stuff in life.
‘Hopefully everything goes my way.’
