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Arne Slot has been speaking about the unique properties of Wataru Endo after the 32-year-old’s Player of the Match performance vs Wolves.

During Klopp’s tenure, Endo made 37 appearances in the 2023/24 season, playing a total of 4,318 minutes across all competitions.



This included 21 Premier League starts, where he contributed significantly to Liverpool’s midfield dynamics.

In contrast, under Slot this season, Endo has played only 11 times, with most appearances being brief cameos off the bench.

He has accumulated just 991 minutes of playing time, highlighting a marked decrease in his involvement.

Klopp often praised Endo for his defensive brain and work ethic, describing him as a “machine” who provides freedom for other midfielders to play a more advanced role.

But with the pursuit of Martin Zubimendi in the summer and the decision to put the more technical Ryan Gravenberch at the base of midfield – it’s clear Slot favours a different dynamic in the engine room.

Despite his limited playing time, Endo has maintained a high level of performance when called upon – with his manager now recognising this.

What did Arne Slot say about Wataru Endo?

Speaking in his pre-Aston Villa press conference, the Dutchman affirmed that the Japan skipper is still a useful cog in his squad and explained how his mental fortitude has enabled him to show this level of performance despite not having all that much game time:

“Wata has been really useful for us this season.

It’s not always a matter of how many minutes you play; you can be very important in two minutes and you can be less important in 90 minutes,” Slot said.

“What makes Wata special in my opinion is every time we have to rely on him, whether it’s 5,10, or 25 minutes, he shows up.”

“That sounds much more simple than it is because if a player has hardly had playing time, then to be mentally so strong that when the team needs you – you bring your best performance.”

“That’s not always easy as you see some players who don’t play a lot find it difficult to get their rhythm.”

While he heaped the praise on Endo he also added a bit of a caveat, which could also be defending the likes of Federico Chiesa:

“The only thing is, defending will always be more easy than creating?

So if you play one who hasn’t played for a long time and he has to create something is always more difficult than defending.”

Read More: How Wataru Endo proved to be the hero against Wolves

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