After Wataru Endo‘s dominant performance at centre-back in the FA Cup, Arne Slot has explained just why the Japan captain is such “an important part of” Liverpool’s squad.
Arriving as a holding midfielder from Stuttgart in 2023, Endo played 43 times for the Reds in his debut season as he brought some much-needed experience to a youthful Jurgen Klopp midfield.
Since Slot arrived, though, Endo has found himself out of favour, the coach preferring Ryan Gravenberch‘s style.
Despite not starting a single match in the Premier League or Champions League, Endo has remained a valuable asset off the bench.
Such has been the 31-year-old’s professionalism, Slot had no qualms about playing him at centre-back against Tottenham and Accrington Stanley, saying: “I know what kind of person Wata is. He’s just, ‘Whenever you play me I will do my best, wherever you play me’.”
Endo has come off the bench 11 times this season as Slot has sought to see games out. While he may not be a long-term option for the Reds, the Dutchman certainly appreciates his No. 3.
“If it’s five minutes before the end, he comes in and gives everything he has and that might be normal for a lot of fans to hear,” Slot continued.
“But as long as I’m in football, I’ve seen players that have to come in five minutes before the end also doing different things and showing different attitude to what Wata shows.
“So he’s an important part of our team. Every time we need him in the midfield or even now as a centre-back, because I didn’t want to bring Ibou in two days after he played against United and after 20 minutes we already had to make a substitution.
“And he did really well, Wata, because the moment I took him out of our last line, we conceded.”
While Endo is now known as a defensive midfielder by trade, across his career he has actually played more games as a centre-half.
The majority of these appearances came during his early career with Japanese clubs Shonan Bellmare and Urawa Reds.
It was at Stuttgart where he grew into a midfield role and excelled, helping to keep them in the Bundesliga under manager Pellegrino Matarazzo.
Though arguably underrated, Endo may not be the most technically gifted player to ever grace the Anfield turf, but his experience, attitude and guile could be key for Liverpool to lift silverware this season.
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