Wataru Endo, a midfielder for Liverpool, shocked supporters by disclosing where he started his career on the field and admitted he hasn’t always played in the same position.
Liverpool made a wise addition in Wataru Endo. He provided Jurgen Klopp’s midfield a lot more bite last season after joining on a cheap contract from Stuttgart after a trade for Moises Caicedo fell through, but he has now disclosed that this wasn’t his initial position.
Many supporters discovered that Endo had previously played center-back while in Japan while they were frantically trying to learn about him last summer (thank you, Transfermarkt). With the Reds choosing not to bolster in that area, it appeared as though there would even be a chance for him to step in there at Anfield.
However, Jarell Quansah’s ascent made sure that experiment was never seen. It transpires that Endo’s transition from center-back to holding midfield was a much more significant alteration in his professional path.
Endo talked candidly about his trip on the Red Machine podcast, which is published by Kodansha, Liverpool’s official publishing partner. What he stated is reproduced on the club website:
Since I play defensive midfield, winning the duels is always crucial to me, Endo said. “I played No. 9 when I first started playing football, and I scored a lot of goals!
When asked which position they played as a child, the majority of Japanese football players would almost certainly answer “No. 9.” It frequently occurs with Japanese players, and I was a No. 9. It’s really prevalent.
I then began playing practically every position, including full-back, right-back, no. 10, and no. 8. After that, I relocated to Sint-Truiden, Belgium, where I have been playing as a No. 6 ever since. I have performed in numerous roles.
According to Endo’s memory, his role as a defensive midfielder was not entirely determined until he relocated to Europe. After eight years in the J-League, he only moved to Belgium in his mid-20s, which represents a sizable portion of his career during which he alternated between a vast array of positions.
He has been firmly established in the number six role since Sint-Truiden. Now that he’s revealed this information, though, you can see the more thorough positional grounding in his play. Endo was known in Stuttgart for his remarkably high amount of goal involvements from his deep base, and we’ve also seen him drive forward at Liverpool.
What the future holds for Endo under new leader Arne Slot is unknown at this point. Let’s see what other surprises he has planned.
