Endo: I had a simple dream and now I am playing for Liverpool

Wataru Endo hopes he can be an example for the next generation of Japanese Footballers after realising his own Footballing dream.

The 31 year-old midfielder arrived in England with little fanfare as not much was known about him in this country despite plying his trade in his homeland and in Europe for well over a decade.

Last summer shaped as being transitional with a number of high profile senior departures with the emphasis on bringing in young talent.

When Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia turned down the Reds for Chelsea on the verge of the season kicking off, morale was pretty low among the fanbase and that didn’t improve much when Endo was signed not too long after.

By viewing his Footballing resume, it was clear he had talent and a level of responsibility attached to his name by being captain of his country, but the fact that Jordan Henderson and Fabinho had departed and another player in their early thirties was brought in as a replacement raised some questions.

It has been a common theme for new signings under Jurgen Klopp to take their time to adjust and this was certainly the case with Endo.

But once the defensive midfielder adjusted to the tempo, he has been one of the surprise packets of not only Liverpool’s season but the league in general, becoming a very important member of the starting lineup and he has become a fan favourite along the way.

Speaking as part of the Premier League series: Greatness comes from Everywhere’ Endo outlined his footballing dream per the Official site.

“To see someone like me come from a small club and play in the Premier League means a lot to the Japanese football world.

“ I dreamed of it, but I never thought I’d play for a team like Liverpool.

“It was nothing concrete, just a simple dream. I just knew I wanted to play in the Premier League someday, but now I find myself living that dream.

“I’m really pleased that I followed my dream and continued to work hard and that I was able to succeed in making it here, because I hope that my story will influence other children to do so in the future.”

Endo also spoke about how he developed his love for Football.

“I watched my father play football a lot, so that also inspired me to play, and I liked playing with my friends.

“As well as the J.League, I started watching a lot of Premier League matches and that is when I started to dream of playing in the Premier League one day.

“I believed in myself and my determination to succeed never waned.

“My father definitely inspired me the most. He’s not very talkative, but he always told me to think for myself and to act on my decisions, and to choose my own path in life.”

 But despite the great strides he has taken on a personal level throughout his career Endo still has boxes he wants to tick.

“Even when I achieve good results, I’m never satisfied, because I still want to improve as a professional footballer.”