Liverpool, who had been looking for a new midfielder, turned to Japan midfielder Wataru Endo, who was playing for Stuttgart at the time, to cover for their defensive midfield, which had become thin after the departures of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho.
He had never even played in the Champions League or Europa League before, and few people in England knew about him, so at first there were even doubts about his acquisition. Unlike the original targets such as Moises Caicedo and Romeo Rabia, his age was also a concern.
He struggled at the beginning of the season, but started to get playing time, mainly in the Europa League and cup competitions, and increased his playing time when Alexis Mac Allister was injured.
It was a breakthrough month for him, as he scored his first Premier League goal, and the Japanese captain was named the club’s Player of the Month, an award he was happy to receive.
“I’m so glad to be chosen as the Player of the Month. I hope this is just one of many”
“December is a very important month, also for me, because we had so many injured players and I knew I needed to show why I’m here.”
“It’s a very tough month but the way we played and how we showed on the pitch was great, in my opinion.”
Liverpoolfc.com
On December 3, 2023, he was brought in from a losing situation against Fulham and immediately hit the equalizer to bring about a comeback victory. He continued to defend from a high position against Arsenal, Manchester United, and others, and was a perfect fit for the team.
The former Stuttgart midfielder, who had a busy December with a string of injuries that gave him a chance, also spoke about the importance of keeping playing.
“My first [Premier League] goal against Fulham was [a] great [moment] and the atmosphere at Anfield was amazing. That was a special moment for me.”
“It was a difficult situation for us because we were 3-2 down and we just needed to score. I came in and played for this crowd. It was also a surprise for me to score! But I was so happy.”
“I needed time to adapt so the most important thing was to keep playing, in my opinion.”
“In December I just kept playing the games and I had to keep playing because we had many injured players. So I was a little bit lucky but I just needed to keep playing I think.”
Liverpoolfc.com