Adjusting to EPL no tea party says Liverpool’s Wataru Endo

Liverpool summer signing Wataru Endo has found the Premier League more difficult than he expected but is confident he can improve and contribute more.

The 30-year-old Japan international, arrived from Stuttgart for £12m, was seen as something of a stopgap solution to the club’s lack of defensive midfielders following Fabinho’s unexpected departure to Saudi Arabia.

Of his 15 appearances so far, only two have been starts in the Premier League (against Newcastle and Brentford), with manager Jurgen Klopp preferring to use Argentina’s World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister in an unknown role.

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Endo has earned most of his playing time in the Europa League and Carabao Cup and his late arrival (he signed in mid-August) did not help his integration.

“Yes, it’s harder than I thought, but I’m very happy to be here,” he said when asked about his Premier League experience so far.

Wataru Endo has opened up about his transition to the Premier League, stating that getting up to speed with the physicality of the top flight has been “more difficult than I thought”.

He joined Jurgen Klopp’s team earlier this summer but has only started twice in the Premier League, having made eight appearances for Liverpool.

“Physically, he is fast, so it is very difficult to adapt, but it is the Premier League and I keep trying, I keep playing and I will improve.”

“I’m already 30 years old, but I feel like I have the opportunity to grow as a football player, so I’m very happy to be here and be able to improve.”

“After I got here I spoke to the boss about how Liverpool play. After that I try to do that and he talks to me a lot about that.

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“Every time I try to help Liverpool play and, of course, I always watch what they do from the bench. I think it’s something important and I’m getting better and better.”

Endo’s start to life at Anfield was not helped by the fact that, as the only holding midfielder, there was a lot of focus on him fitting directly into the side and playing a similar role to that played by 30-year-old Fabinho. for five years. .

Furthermore, Liverpool’s midfield underwent a complete overhaul in the summer and Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch now look like established first options.