Wataru Endo shares which former Liverpool player he called after joining this summer

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Wataru Endo has shared the details of a conversation he had with Takumi Minamino after signing for Liverpool.

Endo became the second Japanese player to represent the Reds, joining from Stuttgart this summer. He follows in the footsteps of countryman Minamino, who spent two-and-a-half years at Anfield, leaving in 2022.

The two players are teammates at international level, and speaking in a recent interview with Liverpool’s official matchday programme via liverpoolfc.com, Endo said he’d been in touch with Minamino.

“Yes, I got in touch with him [Minamino],” admitted the 30-year-old. “We spoke on the phone and he congratulated me on joining the club.

“We spoke about what Liverpool is like, and some things like that. He didn’t give me specific advice but said congratulations and that there were some Japanese staff in Liverpool as well.”

Endo seeks Minamino advice

As a current teammate, and the only Japanese to have played for Liverpool before, Minamino was a natural point of contact for Endo this summer.

The 28-year-old had a mixed time at Anfield, but that’s exactly why his advice could be so useful to his older colleague.

Having joined from a smaller club, in an unexpected manner, there is some pressure on Endo.

That may be unfair given the circumstances surrounding his arrival, but he won’t be given a free pass just because of his rather unglamourous career path so far. In fact, it may make things more difficult for him.

So far, that has already proven to be the case. Although Endo has by no means been poor for Liverpool, he has looked a little like a player making a big jump up at a late stage of his career.

Being 24 when he joined, Minamino’s experience isn’t directly comparable. Nevertheless, the forward arrived from a much smaller team in a much less physical league. It took him plenty of time to adapt and he had to feel his way through a really tough period.

Although we hope not, the likelihood is that Endo will have to do the same. Ultimately, Minamino found his feet at Anfield and contributed enormously to the cup double in 2021/22. If Endo can have a similar impact, we’ll be more than happy.