Wataru Endo: Liverpool's answer to Rodri or just another Arthur Melo?!

Endo was born in Yokohama and came through the youth-team ranks at Shonan Bellmare, who are based in nearby Hiratsuka. He broke into the senior squad in 2010 and made steady progress before being handed his Japan debut five years later.

His fine form earned him a move to Urawa Red Diamonds, whom he promptly helped win the AFC Champions League in 2017, with the multi-functional Endo starting at right-back in both legs of the final.

Endo travelled to Russia for the World Cup the following year and although he didn't feature in any of Japan's games, by that stage he had earned himself a move to Sint-Truiden, a Belgian Pro League club acquired by Japan's DMM group in 2017, resulting in many of the nation's most promising players moving to Limburg.

Endo would end up spending just over a year at Sint-Truiden because of Stuttgart's former sporting director Sven Mislintat. The German, a world-renowned talent-spotter now working at Ajax, has enjoyed plenty of success over the years picking up players plying their trade in Belgium - and he never had any doubts over Endo's potential to excel at an even higher level.

Indeed, he wanted to sign the Japanese on a permanent basis in the summer of 2019, but Stuttgart's budgetary restrictions at the time meant they could only take Endo on loan initially.

"In comparison to a normal season, we have a lot of variables," Mislintat is quoted as saying by Bundesliga.com during the pandemic-affected campaign. "But there was no uncertainty over what Endo could bring to the club."

Stuttgart confirmed a €1.7m deal for Endo in April 2020. He proved a bargain buy.

Endo helped Stuttgart secure a return to the top-flight at the end of his first season at the MPHArena before quickly proving himself one of the best defensive midfielders in the Bundesliga.

Although not an especially vocal player, Endo also emerged as one of the most important figures in the dressing room and became known as 'Stuttgart's silent leader'. Former coach Pellegrino Matarazzo certainly had no qualms about handing such a quiet character the captain's armband, explaining that Endo effectively served as his team's 'bodyguard'.

"What's important for me is that our captain can take everyone with him," he explained, "that he embodies the values we stand for and is an example to follow. I have chosen Wataru Endo because he's also someone who leaves room for other players to take responsibility."

It certainly proved an inspired decision on Matarazzo's part, with Endo quite literally rising to the challenge of keeping his side in the Bundesliga. On the final day of the 2021-22 season, he headed home an injury-time winner against Koln that saw Stuttgart avoid the relegation play-off on goal difference.

He stepped up again last term when it looked like Stuttgart were going straight down. Endo popped up with a goal and three assists in the final three rounds of the regular season to help secure five points that salvaged a place in the play-off, which Stuttgart won comfortably, beating Hamburg 6-1 on aggregate.

Endo is known as 'The Duel King' in Japan - and with good cause, given no midfielder has been involved in more (1274) since making his Bundesliga debut in September 2020. He also ranks second for both possession won (706) and successful tackles (207), which helps explain Liverpool's interest.

Endo is versatile too, though, capable of playing at centre-back, as he has done on occasion for Stuttgart. "As a player and as a person, he's simply incredibly valuable," former sporting director Mislintat enthused. "He's one of these anchors, a focal point in our system."

Endo's offensive attributes should be overlooked either.

As Chihiro Sasaki-Burns of GOAL Japan says, "Endo's most impressive quality is obviously his ability to win duels. He has a talent for finding weaknesses in the opposition's attacking game. He reads the game so well and his positioning is excellent, so that helps him spot chances to intercept passes and disrupt the other team's attacks.

"However, he's not only adept at stopping attacks but starting them too - because of his fantastic range of passing. He always seems to know when and where to distribute the ball. He's got great awareness and excellent decision-making skills. This is why he's such a valuable player and such a pleasure to watch on a football field."

There is no getting away from the fact that many Liverpool fans have been underwhelmed by the club's decision to suddenly turn to Endo to fill the gaping, Fabinho-shaped hole in their midfield. He just wasn't being mentioned or touted as a possible replacement for the Brazilian at all.

Supporters are, thus, understandably asking why Liverpool have moved for a 30-year-old playing for a club that's only barely avoided relegation from the Bundesliga for the past two seasons? This is not a player with a wealth of experience at the very highest level, given he's never made a single appearance in the Champions League (not that he'll be asked to make that particular step up in class this season, of course!).

However, it is worth remembering that Endo was outstanding in Japan's win over Germany at last year's World Cup - arguably the best player on the pitch, in fact - while he also impressed in the last-16 clash with Croatia, which the Blue Samurai undeservedly lost on penalties.

So, Endo, who has long wanted to play in the Premier League and started studying English before he'd even left Japan, has already shown that he can perform on the game's grandest stage, and still has plenty left to offer, which is why he was named his nation's new captain after Qatar 2022.

Endo has developed a reputation for being a master of the 'tactical foul', given he doesn't pick up too many yellow cards (just three in 33 Bundesliga appearances last season) despite often resorting to taking players down when they're in threatening positions. In that sense, he could prove Liverpool's answer to Rodri.

However, in Germany, he's drawn comparisons to Claude Makelele, given he's not the tallest defensive midfielder (5'10'), but he's physically strong, plays the game with great intensity and can pack a pass.

Makelele boasts a far more impressive CV, of course - he redefined the defensive midfield role to such an extent that it was named after him - but it's worth pointing out that he was the same age as Endo when he arrived at Chelsea. So, Endo's hopes of making an impact at Anfield shouldn't be written off just because he's already turned 30.

As it stands, Endo could go straight into Liverpool's starting line-up. The only other proper No.6s in the squad, Spaniards Thiago Alcantara and Stefan Bajcetic, are still recovering from injury. Alexis Mac Allister was deployed in a deep-lying role against Chelsea last week but, as feared, it proved a waste of his offensive talents.

Curtis Jones is also an option in front of the back four given his confidence and versatility, but he's also an injury doubt for Saturday's clash with Bournemouth. So, he could, at least, play some part in the game at Anfield - provided his work permit and international clearance go through in time.

Of course, Endo won't have had much time to get to know his new team-mates, but match fitness wouldn't be an issue at least, given he featured for Stuttgart in last weekend's DFB-Pokal clash with Belingen, and even scored in the 4-0 win.

Klopp could, of course, be reluctant to throw Endo in at the deep end so soon after touching down on Merseyside, also because of the scepticism surrounding his signing, but, as long as he's eligible, Bournemouth at home feels like the right kind of game to allow Liverpool's new 'bodyguard' to show that he can protect a back four that's been left wide open too attacks for far too long now.