Wataru Endo

Wataru Endo began his career in football when he joined his local side, Minamitotsuka FC, aged six. Aged fifteen, he moved to the youth setup of J1 League side Shonan Bellmare, where he was quickly fast‑tracked to the first‑team.

Endo suffered relegation to J League Division 2 in 2013 but helped the club win the title and return to the J1 League after just one season. He went on to play 158 games for Shonan Bellmare, scoring 23 goals.

His performances after promotion attracted Urawa Red Diamonds, where he enjoyed huge success—netting the winning penalty in the 2016 J League Cup final. The following year, he helped Urawa lift both the 2017 Suruga Bank Championship and the AFC Champions League. He made 109 appearances before moving to Belgium’s Sint‑Truiden for a single season.

Endo’s European adventure continued in Germany when he joined VfB Stuttgart—initially on loan and then permanently after helping them secure Bundesliga promotion. He went on to captain Stuttgart and scored one of the club’s most crucial goals, a stoppage‑time winner in a 2 – 1 play‑off victory over FC Köln to avoid relegation.

After Liverpool’s bid for Moisés Caicedo fell short in the 2023 summer window, they signed Endo for £16 million in a move that surprised and divided supporters. Since arriving, he has earned cult‑hero status at Anfield thanks to his leadership, aggression, and work‑rate. He played the full 120 minutes of the 2024 Carabao Cup Final to claim his first English trophy.

Under Arne Slot, game time has been more scarce; however, Endo is regularly trusted to close out tight matches—and does so to great effect.