Wataru Endo has played relatively few minutes since joining the team from Stuttgart last month, and Jurgen Klopp has provided an explanation.
Since joining the Premier League for £16 million in the summer, the Japan captain has only made one start, and he was again limited to a substitute role against West Ham on Sunday.
Endo made his debut in the 88th minute of the Reds’ 3-1 victory over the Hammers, and many supporters were shocked he hadn’t been used earlier in the game given that he was still the team’s lone No. 6 specialist.
Even though the midfielder is older, the manager stressed after the game that he is “not a short-term project” and that he is still getting used to life at Anfield.
He wants to get some people out of the way to join the team even if he is not yet 30 or anything, but he is becoming better every day.
You saw him there today; he will assist us greatly, play games, initiate games, and do all of these things. It’s all excellent because he has already played in three or four games for us in a short amount of time.
“That is what matters; this is not a quick project. I am thrilled to have Wataru since he is a crucial member of the team.
Despite being somewhat older than the previous targets, the midfielder was given a four-year deal, showing that Klopp sees him as a player who can still contribute in his latter years.
Whether that results in more playing time in the upcoming weeks remains to be seen, but given the battle for spots, Endo will be eager to make his mark on the drastically altered Reds midfield as quickly as possible.
