Wataru Endo to Liverpool: Stuttgart’s Japanese midfielder has all-round game and is an example to other players | Football News

The circumstances behind a near £16m signing of Wataru Endo may need some Liverpool supporters involved. The failed pursuits of each Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia have left Jurgen Klopp in need of choices in midfield and turning to the 30-year-old Endo might be seen as a desperation transfer.

Stuttgart’s captain is just not a younger expertise to excite within the mould of these different names. However given the departures of Fabinho, Jordan Henderson and James Milner, this acquisition is perhaps one of many smarter bits of enterprise that Liverpool may have finished.

He’s a dependable performer, who will likely be decided to grab this chance, an knowledgeable within the holding position who can contribute to each the defensive and offensive part of the sport. There aren’t any query marks over his character – simply ask those that know him.

‘He’s a very nice participant’

It was the ultimate query for Bundesliga legend Mario Gomez as he sat down with a bunch of worldwide journalists on the Allianz Area on Saturday night. Japanese reporter Daisuke Ishii requested about Endo, the previous striker’s outdated team-mate at Stuttgart.

Gomez had already mentioned every part from Germany’s issues to his personal Spanish roots, however his eyes lit up on the point out of Endo. “I really like Wataru, to be trustworthy.” It was he who had pushed for the participant’s inclusion when each discovered themselves out of the group.

“Wataru sat subsequent to me within the dressing room and had a very onerous time as a result of the coach didn’t use him initially.” In 2020, Gomez was within the ultimate season of his profession and had adjusted to his personal state of affairs, a mentor to the squad. “I used to be pleased with this position.”

Endo, in his prime, was extra annoyed. “I used to be all the time telling him simply to maintain calm, maintain doing what he was doing as a result of he did superb in coaching.” So superb, actually, that it grew to become a working theme of the classes than Gomez would pair up with Endo.

“After the sport we had the 4 in opposition to 4,” Gomez explains. “After I got here into the dressing room, I used to be all the time telling the coach to place me in the identical group as Wataru as a result of then we’ll by no means lose. That is the way it began. I used to be simply pushing him lots.

“At a sure level, the coach used him. After which it’s not me, it’s concerning the participant, as a result of he performed incredible. That’s the reason he’s taking part in not as a result of I advised the coach that he’s nice. It’s as a result of he’s a very nice participant. Now, he’s the captain of his group.”

Gomez regards Endo as an “instance of how group sport ought to look” due to his angle – somebody who’s “all the time giving every part for the group”. He admires his serenity in coping together with his younger youngsters. “I’ve three and I’m struggling. He’s simply by no means careworn.”

However simply as his performances in these four-against-four video games in coaching would recommend, that is about greater than his good character, extra even than the flexibility that would see him fill in on the again in addition to in midfield for Liverpool. Endo has the standard to succeed too.

Endo’s spectacular statistics

Klopp will relish his combative strategy. It is a participant who ranked sixth final season for duels received within the Bundesliga. Prior to now three seasons, he’s considered one of solely three gamers to make 200 tackles, considered one of solely two to win the ball again 400 instances in the midst of the pitch.

Having deployed Alexis Mac Allister in that deeper position on the opening weekend and missed out on each Caicedo and Lavia to Chelsea, Liverpool’s want for a defensive-minded midfielder is apparent. Endo has proven in his lengthy profession that he can do this job.

What makes him a very attention-grabbing proposition, maybe what persuaded Klopp to make the transfer, is that his in-possession sport is nice sufficient to thrive within the Premier League too. Like these different targets, Endo will be far more than a mere destroyer.

His passing statistics are strong and there may be creativity there too. Remarkably, there have been solely 4 gamers – Jamal Musiala, Dominik Szoboszlai, Moussa Diaby and Raphael Guerreiro – who created extra possibilities from open play than Endo within the Bundesliga final season.

He can get ahead to press and to go, important even for the extra defensive gamers in a Klopp group. Endo received the ball again 22 instances within the ultimate third final season and scored twice from Stuttgart counter-attacks. He even scored three objectives from outdoors the field.

That he ranks so extremely on so many metrics owes a lot to the truth that he has been a digital ever-present for his membership since Gomez made his case again in 2020. The truth is, no participant within the Bundesliga has began extra video games than Endo over the previous three seasons.

However then that’s the form of robustness that Klopp would require, notably after being burned by the Arthur Melo expertise – not the identify of a jazz band however the injury-prone Brazilian loaned from Juventus final season who didn’t play a Premier League minute.

Endo is a safer guess. And if he does discover himself kicking his heels in its place, the message to his new Liverpool team-mates will likely be clear. Simply be sure that he’s first choose for that small-sided sport in coaching afterwards. He is not going to keep on the bench for lengthy.