Wataru Endo and Jurgen Klopp have both made their feelings clear after new £16.25m signing joins Liverpool.
If there has been some apprehension among Liverpool fans about the signing of Wataru Endo, there are no such reservations from Jurgen Klopp.
Witness the message the Reds boss sent the Japan international on their meeting at the AXA Training Centre that emerged following the confirmation of Endo’s £16.25million arrival from Bundesliga side Stuttgart.
We need you,” said Klopp after embracing the 30-year-old. “We really need you, and your heart, and your legs and your football ability and your football brain. Your desire, we need it.”
No doubt the Reds required a proven defensive midfielder, a shortcoming that had become glaringly apparent in recent weeks after Jordan Henderson and Fabinho accepted the riches of Saudi Arabia with James Milner having already departed for Brighton on a free transfer.
After the failed pursuits of new Chelsea duo Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia, Klopp and Liverpool sporting director Jorg Schmadtke stuck to what they know best and raided Germany in a move that even took the player himself aback.
“I was a bit surprised when I got the offer but also I feel like ‘Do I still have chance to move to a big club?'” says Endo. “It’s a very exciting moment for me and it’s a dream come true.
“It was very quick because I needed to decide this move in almost 24 hours, and I decided. I just said goodbye to my family and I flew here, then I did the medical check.”
Of Klopp, Endo adds: “For me, I’m very happy to work with him because when I became a football player I often watched Dortmund games when he was there and Shinji (Kagawa) was also there.
“And when I was a kid, I often watched Premier League games with my father. I liked (Steven) Gerrard and I often watched how he played. I often watched Liverpool games.”
As well as stepping into the boots of Fabinho, Endo has also assumed the jersey of the departed Brazilian, becoming the 11th player to wear the number three for Liverpool during the Premier League era.
“Number three is my number because I played as number three in Stuttgart and when I was playing in Japan, also,” he says. “I love this number! I cannot wait to play with this number here.
“I play as a number six and I’m like a bit more (of a) defensive player. I think I can help this club defensively and I will have good organisation in the middle. I think that’s my job. I try to have good communication with the defenders and I always try to scan where opponents stand and try to get them.”
New surrounds, yes, but not everything will feel unusual to Endo. During his initial season-long loan at Stuttgart in 2019/20, he played alongside Liverpool centre-back Nat Phillips – who was also having a temporary stay with the club – and helped them win promotion back to the Bundesliga.
“We played together and we had German lessons together!” says Endo, who could be available for Saturday’s Premier League clash against Bournemouth should international clearance and his work permit be obtained in time. “I have a pretty good connection with him and, of course, I sent him a message before I arrived here. I think he can help me to (settle into) this club quickly.”
And Endo has already picked the brains of Liverpool’s only previous Japan international, Takumi Minamino. “He texted me and said congratulations,” he says. “I asked him to tell me about Liverpool, so we had that conversation.”
The midfielder also boasts leadership credentials having been club captain with Stuttgart and recently appointed skipper of his national team. And asked on liverpoolfc.com if he can bring that experience to the Reds squad, he says: “Yes, I hope so. I don’t talk a lot, but I always show what I have to do on the pitch and what I should do for the team.
“That’s what I am always thinking about. I do that for the national team and with my ex-team-mates at Stuttgart as well, so I will try to do that at Liverpool too.”
Endo may not have been the player Liverpool fans wanted or indeed perhaps were overly aware about at the start of the week. But, as Klopp made clear, he’s someone the Reds squad sorely need right now.