Wataru Endo is unhappy with his lack of gametime this seasonplaceholder image
Wataru Endo is unhappy with his lack of gametime this season | Liverpool FC via Getty Images
The 72-time international has played just 36 minutes of Premier League football this season
Out-of-favour Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo has admitted that he’s far from happy with the number of minutes he’s getting at Anfield at the moment.
Endo joined Liverpool from VfB Stuttgart in the summer of 2023 in a £16m deal. He arrived as something of an unknown quantity having played a large chunk of his career in Belgium and Japan before moving to Germany but quickly slotted into Jurgen Klopp’s system and proved to a be a popular member of the team amongst supporters during the German’s final season as manager.
The 32-year-old played 43 matches in total during his debut campaign as the Reds finished third in the league, ensuring a return to the Champions League while also winning a record-breaking 10th League Cup crown.
Endo started in 34 of those matches in total, including the cup final triumph over Chelsea. However, that number plummeted to just five in Arne Slot’s first season, with almost all of his 32 appearances coming as cameos from the subs bench.
Endo addresses lack of gametime at Liverpool
Endo found first team minutes hard and much more difficult in his second season at Anfield despite a stellar debut campaign.
However, this term has been even worse, with his influence seeming to diminish with each passing week. Overall, Endo has played seven times this season. He started just two matches which both came in the League Cup as Slot heavily rotated the team, and has only racked up 36 minutes of Premier League football in 11 matches this term, including just six since the opening day victory over Bournemouth.
It’s at times cost the Japan skipper a place in the starting lineup for his country in the run-up to the World Cup next summer and is something that Endo admits he’s not satisfied with for either club or country.
Commenting on the situation, Endo said via Soccer King: “I haven’t played many games, but I played with the feeling that I had to perform at a high level. I was conscious of organising the whole team well and how to defend in difficult situations."
Speaking after Japan's win over Bolivia, he added to assembled media: “And as for today, it was [Japan boss Hajime Moriyasu’s] 100th game as manager, so I’m glad we were able to end it with a win.
“It was a milestone match, so I think it was good that we won, but I’m not completely satisfied. So first I’ll go back to my club and do my best so that I can meet you again in March with a good face. It’s tough, but my match fitness hasn’t deteriorated that much. It wasn’t bad.”
What does the future hold for Endo?
He’s consistently reiterated his desire to stay despite being linked with moves away over the summer. Back in June, he said: “I told you I’m staying!” during a live Q&A event in his hometown of Kanagawa, as quoted by Soccer Digest.
Adding: “If the club tells me to leave…No, I’m staying. I have a contract. It’s up to me to make the final decision. Basically, I’m staying, for now.”
He’s under contract until 2027, meaning he has 18 months still to run on his deal. However, he could potentially move on in January if his position at the club doesn’t change.
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