Wataru Endo was never the favourite choice when he arrived at Liverpool among the club’s supporters. But he was the favourite among Liverpool’s coaching staff.
It’s taken a little while but over the last month and a half Liverpool fans have now finally been able to see why.
The Japanese player has adapted brilliantly to the demands of the Premier League. In recent weeks he has been one of the best performers on the pitch. And rightfully so, he was voted as the club’s Player of the Month for December.
Few will argue with that selection – Endo has been a linchpin in the side that has now marched to the top of the Premier League table.
And he’s stood-out not just among his Liverpool teammates but statistically among his positional peers in the league as well.
Endo – the best among midfielders
One data where Endo has excelled more than anyone else in the Premier League is through the measure of possession-adjusted interceptions. Wyscout’s statistic measures the average possession of the team and then weights this with the average interceptions made by a player.
And so far this season among midfielders in the league Endo has come out on top. He’s averaged 8.81 adjusted interceptions per 90 which is the best in the league – above second placed Pierre-Emile Højbjerg at 8.42.
These stats probably won’t surprise Liverpool fans too much – Endo has been brilliant at reprising possession for the Reds. But it’s also another reminder of how sorely he will now be missed as he competes in the Asian Cup.
Thankfully, for Liverpool the return of Alexis Mac Allister will be a huge boost – he ranks in sixth place among midfielders in the metric averaging 7.19 adjusted interceptions.
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