Becoming an indispensable figure in Liverpool’s midfield, Wataru Endo has silenced his critics again and again

Of all Liverpool’s new signings this season, Wataru Endo was perhaps the least expected. Despite being the Bundesliga “Dueling King” two seasons in a row, not many people expected that the 30-year-old Japanese defensive midfielder would be able to do the same in the Premier League.

In fact, he took some time to adjust to the world’s most prestigious league, starting only twice before November. Most of the time he was only on the pitch for a few minutes at the end of the games.

In December, however, his pecking order changed drastically, as he was chosen to play the anchor position due to Alexis Mac Allister’s injury. From the away match against Sheffield United to the away fixture versus Burnley, Endo was the only player in the team to start in seven consecutive official matches. For his performance, the captain of the Japan national team was chosen as Liverpool’s player for December. The unexpected midfielder has turned his reputation and become an integral part of the team, which leads the Premier League table. Many Liverpool fans (and Endo himself) will be bitterly disappointed that he will be absent for almost a month due to the Asian Cup.

Endo is known for his duelling prowess and ability to sense danger, but perhaps his greatest strength lies in his resilience when he finds himself in a tight corner.

In retrospect, Endo’s career has been a series of adversities. His first setback came when he was in elementary school. He was not selected for the junior team of his beloved local club, Yokohama F. Marinos as well as failing at the trial for the junior youth team before entering junior high school.

His mentor Cho Kwi Jae found a rough diamond in Wataru Endo

Then he had to play as a “Bukatsu” at a public junior high school in Yokohama and was discovered by Cho Kwi Jae, the youth coach of Shonan Bellmare at the time when Endo was second grade. Under the guidance of Cho, the current manager of Kyoto Sanga, Endo improved quickly at the youth team of Shonan. 

In 2010, he made his debut in the top division, aged 17, scoring a goal despite being a member of the youth team. In 2011, after being promoted to the first team, he became a starter at centre-back. Then in 2012, he was chosen as the captain of Shonan despite being only 19 years old.

However, Endo couldn’t raise the level of the whole team, being relegated to the second division on two occasions. He was also a member of the national team for his generation from the age of 17, losing in two consecutive Asian qualifying tournaments and missing out on the U-20 World Cup.

After joining Urawa Reds in 2016, Endo struggled in the beginning, making a mistake that led to their elimination from the AFC Champions League. Despite helping them win the League Cup, he only lost the league championship to Kashima Antlers and missed out on the title by a whisker. At the Rio Olympics, where Endo was captain of Japan, the team was also eliminated from the group stage.

At 30, Wataru Endo became a starter at the leading team of the Premier League

He took time to establish himself in the national team as well. Being selected for the World Cup 2018 in Russia, he didn’t have a chance to play. Also, he was injured in the semifinals of the Asian Cup in 2019 and did not play in the final against Qatar.

While experiencing various setbacks, Endo grew from adversity each time. In 2017, for example, he helped Urawa win the AFC  Champions League by playing an active role in erasing the mistakes of the previous year. Or perhaps the humiliation of not being able to play in Russia was the springboard for his current position as captain of the Japan national team.

In 2019, Endo moved to Stuttgart, where he climbed up from the second division and made the huge leap to become a member of Liverpool. At Anfield, the captain of Japan must have found what he lacked and worked diligently to improve his game. His growth in the past five months is the best proof of this.

More challenges may lie ahead. However, Endo will not flinch in the face of these challenges and will continue to overcome them without hesitation.