Stefan Bajcetic was spotted giving encouragement to Wataru Endo before his Liverpool debut on Saturday.
Endo was thrust straight into the thick of things in difficult conditions at the weekend. Having been officially signed on Friday, he was chucked in at Anfield following Alexis Mac Allister’s red card a day later.
It could have been a really tough moment for the Japan international. But thankfully, his teammates were on hand to help. As seen in a fan-taken video from lfc._.pearlyy2.0 on TikTok, Bajcetic was among a number to offer their support.
As Endo stood next to Jurgen Klopp on the touchline, Bajcetic went out of his way to give the 30-year-old a squeeze on the arm.
With his number up on the board, Andy Robertson is also spotted coming over to give some words of encouragement.
MORE LIVERPOOL STORIES
Once on the field, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Diogo Jota are next up, clapping Endo and patting him on the back.
Finally, captain Virgil van Dijk wanders over to offer a firm high five to his new teammate. Great to see.
Bajcetic forms Endo connection
Bajcetic’s reaction here is notable, as it now looks like Endo is his direct competition for a place in the team.
Unless Liverpool bring in another defensive midfielder in the next ten days, the two players are set to fill the role for the Reds this season.
Long-term, it looks like Liverpool are set to back Bajcetic to become the player they badly need him to be. But in the meantime, the more experienced Endo will likely be the first choice.
It may only be a brief second snapshot, but the early signs are that Bajcetic is happy to let Endo take the lead.
Even if Liverpool win their appeal and Mac Allister’s red card is overturned, it looks like the former Stuttgart man will be starting against Newcastle on Sunday.
As good as it was to see Bajcetic on the bench at the weekend, he won’t be ready yet. It would be the right decision to give Endo his first start.
Before then, he’ll have a full week in training to get the hang of things. Already reportedly settling in like a dream, Endo looks set to be a popular member of the first team squad.