The greatest compliment Wataru Endo could possibly receive—and there are plenty—is that no one brings up his age anymore. Another point of praise is that neither Moises Caicedo nor Romeo Lavia are mentioned anymore in Liverpool.

Upon unsuccessful attempts to acquire the previously stated defensive midfield pair, the 30-year-old Endo, who was representing mid-table Bundesliga team Stuttgart, was signed as an unimpressive short-term solution. The deal was criticized by many football fans for lacking ambition.

Considering that Liverpool was prepared to shatter the British transfer record in order to acquire Brighton’s Caicedo, those arguments might have some merit. Losing out on the Ecuadorian seemed like a significant setback. However, with several high-profile midfield departures, Klopp and company had to take action, and Endo was the player they went after.

Although Endo is 30 years old and won’t be able to change a team for the better part of a decade like Virgil van Dijk or Alisson can, at £16.2 million, he appears to be one of the best deals in European football this summer.

How many Liverpool supporters, to be honest, could claim to have heard of Endo prior to this summer? Most likely, the response is less than 1% or 2%. After nearly four months, the Kop is serenading him, and in the next month, he is expected to be a seismic loss.

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Wataru Endo has been a revelation at Anfield since his £16m arrival from Stuttgart in the summer

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Alexis Mac Allister can play the No 6 role and has timed his recovery from an impact injury on the knee perfectly, with Endo now jetting off to the Asia Cup. But the Japan captain will be sorely missed while he is away in the host city of… you guessed it – Qatar.

Liverpool won’t schedule Endo’s return until at least mid-February because Japan consistently does well at the Asia Cup. As a result, he will miss some important league matches, such as a trip to Arsenal (where they also play in the FA Cup on Sunday) and the Carabao Cup semifinals.His withdrawal has not garnered the same media attention as Mohamed Salah’s decision to leave to represent Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations in the Ivory Coast, a decision that has already been discussed and analyzed for months as a possible game-changing moment in the fight for the championship.But Jurgen Klopp’s team will miss Endo, or “Leg-Endo,” as he was nicknamed in Stuttgart, which was likely a pun on the word “legend.” Naturally, Mike Gordon of FSG, Klopp, and transfer expert Jorg Schmadtke are not shocked by Endo’s ascent.The day after Endo’s signing was first suggested, the manager’s phone was ringing with text messages from former colleagues in Germany, from Mainz and Borussia Dortmund, praising him.A former Dortmund hero once wrote, “If it’s true, this is a genius strike, I have asked to sign him for years.” “That was a very positive thing in Germany – he’s super-highly respected,” Klopp said on the Liverpool website on that day. It’s good that he’s excited to join us as well.Van Dijk stated: “We know he has the ability to be playing at the highest level and he’s shown that the last couple of weeks” following yet another excellent performance against Newcastle on Monday. Because he is a human being and confidence is helpful, he has taken the next step.

He’s a really strong six. It’s one of the most underappreciated positions on the field, and I believe that all of the best teams in modern football have a vital six player who serves as both a link to the front and a point of protection. He has taken charge, and we will miss him.

dazzling allusions to the past and present—not that he requires them. His stats speak for themselves. He held the top rankings for the following throughout his stint in the Bundesliga: most aerial duels won (219), most balls won in the defensive third (254), most clearances (175), and most headed clearances (105).

Recently, Klopp stated that Endo is unique among Liverpool’s midfield players in having the basic, albeit occasionally forgotten, skill of tackling. However, Endo is much more than just a powerhouse in the midfield; he always attempts to split lines with passes and remains composed under duress.

Because of those numbers, he is known as the “Duel King” in Japan. He has also published a book called Duel and established a video platform where he evaluates young football players and analyzes his own plays. It also offers parenting guidance.

The book has several interesting asides—for example, Endo claims that Takehiro Tomiyasu, his Japanese teammate at Arsenal, frequently abstains from eating particular foods after suffering an injury out of superstition—but mainly it demonstrates his industriousness and analytical mind, which have proven invaluable to Liverpool.

He is becoming more and more vocal in the locker room, and he is frequently seen motivating teammates during warm-ups or actual games. He also mentions how much he loved The Beatles as a child and how he feels at home in Liverpool. His four children recently moved to England to be with him.

Jurgen Klopp revealed the deluge of messages he received following Endo’s signing that sung the Japanese skipper’s praises

Endo has always had to prove himself; he began in Japan’s second division after being turned down by J League teams, traveled to Europe with Belgian minnows Sint-Truden, and was first recruited by Stuttgart as a squad member before moving on to Bundesliga 2.

Even when he did sign for Liverpool, Klopp had to work hard to persuade the owners—who ultimately approve any transfer—to spend big on a 30-year-old rather than sticking with the traditional recruiting tactic of signing young players.

However, Endo is a “late bloomer” who is not yet exhibiting any symptoms of aging, as Klopp noted. The biggest void from Liverpool’s squad in January will be the loss of Salah’s goals, but Endo’s departure will also be felt deeply. Has anyone also inquired about Caicedo’s progress at Chelsea?