Thomas Hitzlsperger makes Wataru Endo point as Liverpool man prepares for rare start against PSV Eindhoven

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Liverpool’s fringe players look set to get a run-out on Wednesday as the Reds face PSV Eindhoven.

Arne Slot’s side have long since booked their place in the last-16 of the Champions League and are already guaranteed a first or second place finish.

As a result, the Liverpool head coach has taken a young-looking squad back to his homeland.

One of those providing a more experienced outlook will be midfielder Wataru Endo.

Endo has struggled for minutes this season, making just five starts – all in domestic cup competitions.

But Endo has drawn plaudits from Slot for his superb mentality of late, and having worked with the 31-year-old at Stuttgart, former Germany midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger has now echoed that praise.

Thomas Hitzlsperger hails Wataru Endo

Endo had looked likely to leave Liverpool over the summer as Slot decided he needed something slightly different from his deepest lying midfielders.

However, the Japan captain refused to budge and has been roundly vindicated for that stance.

According to those who know him well, this mentality is not a surprise to see from Endo. Speaking to The Athletic about the club’s one-time captain, former Stuttgart chief executive Hitzlsperger has raved about the Liverpool man.

“He’s a manager’s dream,” says the former Aston Villa player. “Because you have a very good player who might not play for 20 games, but if he starts the 21st, he just does exactly what is asked of him.”

READ MORE: Wataru Endo picks out his favourite match as a Liverpool player so far

“Sometimes you want players to be upset at not playing but he’s not the type of player to cause any problems. The best compliment you can pay him is that he just functions. It sounds like a negative, but in a way it is exactly what you want.”

“When you have players like that, you just let them get on with it,” Hitzlsperger adds. “He’s super-professional and such a family man. He smiles and you think everything is OK. His English isn’t bad but you don’t really get much out of him. He was just happy to train and be a family man — a husband and a father.”

Endo set for PSV Eindhoven start

As well as the quotes from Hitzlsperger, The Athletic report that Endo is ‘likely’ to start for Liverpool in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Given the lack of Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mohamed Salah and Alisson Becker in the travelling Liverpool squad, it seems very possible that Endo could even captain the team.

After hearing Hitzlsperger recall the Japanese’s time at Stuttgart, it wouldn’t be a surprise to anyone if Wataru takes that in his stride, too.

“When he started for the first time, in the local derby against Karlsruhe, he was absolutely brilliant,” says the German.

“He won every header in midfield and bossed it. From that moment, he didn’t look back and we knew he would be a great player for us, so it’s nice to see him playing a part in the best team in the world right now.”

Playing his part he certainly is.