If often says a lot about a player when they’re highly respected by their teammates and opponents alike and Jurgen Klopp quickly discovered how highly thought of Wataru Endo is.
Speaking with liverpoolfc.com, the manager said: ‘Since there’s a rumour out or was a rumour out, I got plenty of messages from former players of mine and stuff like this. Everybody [was like], ‘If it’s true, this is a genius strike.
‘I asked to sign him for years’ and stuff like this. It was a very positive thing in Germany – he’s super-highly respected. I think for Stuttgart it’s really hard to lose him but on the other side I think it’s a good deal as well, one year left [on his] contract.
READ MORE: Endo reveals his Liverpool number; takes place of departing midfield hero
‘For him, it’s good. For the club, it’s good. For us, it’s really good. He is really happy to join us, which is nice as well’.
The 30-year-old appears to be both a talented teammate and feared foe, something that should come as welcome news to our supporters as we await our newest player’s debut.
After playing for Stuttgart since 2019, our new No.3 has pitted his wits against the best the Bundesliga has to offer and this has clearly been enough to convince us that he could be a great signing.
The midfielder is likely to be thrust in at the deep end for the Reds and it’s clear that our boss is a huge fan of what he’s seen from him in the past.
Let’s hope that this fresh injection into our side will result in positive results on the pitch, in a campaign where we look like we really need some rigidity in the middle of the park.
#Ep85 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Jan Åge Fjørtoft on Wataru Endo🎙️