**Wataru Endo may not have been the midfield mastermind of Liverpool’s 20th league title but he further strengthened his relationship with supporters with another season of being the quintessential pro.**
When Liverpool signed Endo from Stuttgart, through no fault of his own, it was in disappointing circumstances. Supporters had just seen the club come so close to signing Moises Caicedo but after he choset to join Chelsea, the club turned to Endo and Ryan Gravenberch.
And look how that has turned out.
What was striking at the time despite the moody feeling among supporterts was that Stuttgart fans were adamant that Liverpool were signing someone that would help them achieve their goals.
And what started as a joke has now become truth. When Endo comes off the bench, Liverpool win their games without much fuss.
In the Premier League this season, Endo made 17 substitute appearances and barring the hilarious and slightly embarrassing run of games without a win after winning the title, the Japan national team captain helped the Reds win a bucket load of matches.
And Jurgen Klopp now says it’s because having Japanese playes is a surefire way to win titles based on his own experience in football.
Jurgen Klopp sings Wataru Endo’s praises after winning the Premier League with Liverpool this season
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While talking to Red Bull Japan as part of his role as global head of Red Bull’s football operations where, according to [Sky News](https://news.sky.com/story/former-liverpool-manager-jurgen-klopp-back-in-football-with-red-bull-but-not-as-a-coach-13230720), he is “_responsible for overseeing RB Leipzig, Red Bull Salzburg, New York Red Bulls, and two clubs in Brazil.”_
_“Just before I finished my career, I had the honour and opportunity to work with your captain, Wataru Endo. The perfect professional, a wonderful man and I loved working together with him,”_ said Klopp.
_“My first love in Germany was VfB Stuttgart because I am from that region. He was the captain there as well, so we share a lot of similarities._
_“I never won a trophy in my life without a Japanese player in my squad, so, you better have a Japanese player in your squad!”_