Wataru Endo has commenced his pre-season training at Liverpool’s AXA Training Centre earlier than many of his teammates. The midfielder’s early return follows his exclusion from Japan’s World Cup squad due to fitness concerns.
Endo, who serves as Japan’s captain, had not played for Liverpool since sustaining an ankle injury during a match against Sunderland on February 11. He did return to international duty last month, featuring for 45 minutes in a warm-up match against Iceland on May 31.
Despite his return to play, Japan’s head coach, Hajime Moriyasu, confirmed that Endo would not be part of the World Cup squad. The tournament is being held across Canada, the United States, and Mexico. Following this announcement, Endo declared his retirement from international football via social media.
Early return to Kirkby
On Thursday, Endo shared an image from Liverpool’s training base in Kirkby, captioned ‘Day 1’, signifying the start of his pre-season. Most of his colleagues are scheduled to report back on Monday, July 13.
Endo is expected to join the squad for their pre-season tour in the United States, which begins on July 20. During the tour, Andoni Iraola’s team will play friendly matches against Sunderland, Wrexham, and Leeds United in Nashville, New York, and Chicago.
In his social media message after the World Cup squad announcement, Endo expressed his feelings: “As announced, I will be stepping away from the World Cup squad. Since my injury, I’ve done everything I possibly could up to this point, so I have no regrets whatsoever.”
He continued, acknowledging the disappointment but also pride in the team’s progress: “Of course, there’s frustration at not being able to participate in this World Cup, but more than that, I’m proud of how we’ve grown together since the Qatar World Cup – me as captain, leading this team and turning our goal of ‘winning the World Cup‘ into something we can say as a matter of course.”
Endo concluded his message by stating his retirement from the national team: “With this campaign, I will be retiring from the national team. So from here on, I’ll be cheering for the Japan national team as one of the fans.” He also encouraged support for the team, saying, “Let’s unite Japan’s strength as one so that moment comes in this tournament—everyone, let’s take on the North and Central America World Cup together!!”
Future at Anfield
The early pre-season start could offer Endo an opportunity to impress new head coach Andoni Iraola. With several key midfielders, including Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch, away on World Cup duty, Iraola will have a reduced group for initial assessments.
Endo, who is 33, missed the end of the previous season due to his ankle injury. Despite being a reliable squad option, his future at Liverpool remains a subject of discussion, especially as he approaches the final year of his contract, which runs until 2027.
Signed from Stuttgart in 2023 for £16m, Endo played a role in Liverpool’s EFL Cup and Premier League successes. His experience, defensive instincts, and tactical discipline are qualities that could be valuable to a new head coach establishing standards.
The upcoming pre-season will be crucial for Endo to demonstrate his capabilities and secure his place within Iraola’s plans. Japan was eliminated from the World Cup in the last-32 round after a 2-1 loss to Brazil.
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Source: liverpoolecho.co.uk
Daniel Fairbrother is the Senior Football Correspondent at Latest News UK, covering the Premier League, the EFL and the England national side with over a decade of reporting experience. He spent eight years on the football desk of a Yorkshire daily before moving into national coverage. He holds a degree in Sports Journalism from the University of Sunderland and completed an NCTJ diploma. Based in Leeds, he watches non-league football and runs a five-a-side league. “The best football stories are won in the week, not on the whistle.”