But after having just four Premier League minutes since the end of August and being completely reliant on Carabao Cup football in the meantime, the midfielder could no longer hide his frustration.
Even for Japan (where he is captain) he has been less involved than usual this autumn, having not played in the previous four matches before playing in the entire 3-0 win over Bolivia on Tuesday (Transfer market).
Endo talks about frustration while playing
After that match, in which his national team boss Hajime Moriyasu played 100 games, Endo admitted that he was not completely satisfied with his fate over the past three months.
The 32-year-old said (via Football king): “I didn’t play many matches, but I played with the feeling that I had to perform at a high level. I was aware of how to organize the whole team well and how to defend in difficult situations.”
“As for today, that was it [Moriyasu’s] 100th game as manager, so I’m happy we were able to end this one with a win. It was a milestone match, so I think it was good that we won, but I’m not completely satisfied. First I will go back to my club and do my best so that I can meet you again in March with a happy face.”
Liverpool’s poor form has contributed to Endo playing less than before
Endo has previously embraced his reputation as a ‘closer’ (i.e. coming on in the final quarter of games to help Liverpool to a win) and insisted he would never ‘throw away’ the opportunity to represent the Reds.
But having rarely been called up as a substitute in recent months, with Arne Slot often forced to make attacking changes in an attempt to turn a draw or defeat into a win, even the 32-year-old could not contain his disappointment.
We have no doubt that the LFC head coach would like to give the midfielder more game time than he has had of late, but we have not often been in a game situation where his primary attributes are the priority.
However, that will not stop Endo from giving 100% in training. If anything, it will motivate him to push even harder and put himself in a position where he can be trusted to start if one of our regular starters is unavailable or simply in need of meticulous management.
Our number 3 will likely leave Liverpool once his contract expires in June 2027 (by which time he will be 34), but hopefully we’ll still see plenty of him on the pitch until then – and that’s more likely if the Reds win late and focus on getting a positive result, rather than chasing one.
You can watch Slot’s full post-Man City press conference via Kingdom of the Kop on YouTube:
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