Wataru Endo, in many ways the exception to the rule in a new-look Liverpool squad, will return to the AXA Training Centre in high spirits.
Wataru Endo is demonstrating to be Liverpool’s outlier in a lot of ways.
Jordan Henderson and Fabinho reluctantly joined a mass midfield exodus that also included James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and Naby Keita earlier in the summer. The Reds’ recruitment team had a general goal of bringing in younger, more dependable players throughout the transfer season.
The additions of Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, and Ryan Gravenberch, who are 24, 22, and 21, respectively, have done that. Jurgen Klopp appears eager to rebuild his midfield with technical assurance at the forefront of his thinking rather than the hard-pressing tactics that have characterised the last few years.
Endo, who is 30 years old, marks a change in that approach. Instead, he has lowered the average age of the squad and sprinkled in some experience.
Klopp claimed that Liverpool’s general hiring philosophy in regards to age is such that he had to persuade the club’s Fenway Sports Group owners to approve the £16 million deal to sign Endo from Stuttgart last month due to their reluctance.
“We are still discussing,” Klopp said. The owners really want to play 200 games by the age of 20. It’s quite difficult. I don’t need to be convinced. I know that the best time for a football player is between the ages of 27 and 33 in a normal career. Of course it depends on the injury. That’s why I didn’t have to change anything and he was on my list from the beginning.”
But even though Endo arrives with 13 years of playing experience, his age – like Klopp’s credentials – is not yet at the point where a player’s form can naturally begin to decline . If anything, it is hoped that the defensive-minded Endo will complement his younger and more forward-thinking colleagues in the new engine room at Liverpool this season.
If some eyebrows were raised at the former Stuttgart star’s surprise catch on the left wing, it may have had more to do with the timing of the deal than anything else. The fact that Endo was signed for £16m just days after the collapse of England’s record £111m deal for Moises Caicedo has given further weight to the theory of mistaken thinking behind the deal. behind the scenes in Liverpool this summer.
Had Endo been signed earlier in the window, however, his relatively modest fee and profile as an international captain who would provide dependable cover would surely have been viewed in a more flattering light.
Klopp said: “It was a transfer that went unnoticed by the public. “It’s not ‘oh my God!’ and maybe no one is writing a new song about him right now, but wait.
“He has something that Liverpool fans will love, that’s for sure. He’s used to wearing a little bit of red, so that’s good, and when he puts this jersey on, he’s going to throw everything on the field and people are going to love it.”
While many Liverpool fans were unaware of Endo’s talent before his move to Merseyside, many seasoned observers of the Bundesliga saw his value. Klopp has received many messages from the country praising him for his acumen in closing deals, including from several World Cup winners.
Although his age contrasts with the newcomers, his special skills are also very different. While Mac Allister, Szoboszlai and Gravenberch would provide composure, balance and comfort in possession of the opposition third, Endo was bought for his keen defensive instincts.
As the only natural ‘No.6’ in the squad – in the typical sense of the role – Endo will be needed for his ability to cover the ground, snap into tackles and win the ball back for the team’s more naturally attacking artisans.
And given the Japan captain arrived on Merseyside at breakneck speed over the course of just a handful of days after the season had started less than a month ago, seeing him gain some valuable minutes for ‘Samurai Blue’ on international duty will be a positive for Klopp, particularly when he is starring in a 4-1 win over Germany in Wolfsburg.
The Reds boss will no doubt have watched on with a keen interest as Endo helped keep Hansi Flick’s men at bay in the Volkswagen Arena with a midfield display full of hard work and tenacity.
As a fiercely proud German, seeing Endo shine will likely have left Klopp with mixed emotions on Saturday evening but he is surely relishing the opportunity to really get to work with meshing his midfield together on the other side of the international break
