Wataru Endo is following path of 'best ever' Liverpool signing as cult hero status secured

When it comes to unlikely Liverpool heroes, there are few in recent memory who loom quite as large as Wataru Endo.

Used in some quarters as a vehicle to bemoan FSG’s oft-divisive transfer strategy when he first arrived from Stuttgart in a £16.2m deal last August, the midfielder has now rendered himself a virtual undroppable for Jurgen Klopp’s side as they continue their crusade for an unprecedented quadruple this term.

And, if the awarding of a terrace chant is to be regarded as a reliable gauge of fan sentiment, then the sight of Liverpool supporters singing their No.3’s praises to the tune of ABBA’s 'Voulez-Vous' after Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Manchester City suggests Endo’s icon status is already secured.

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But the 31-year-old is not the only Japan international to have won the hearts of the Liverpool faithful over the past year, with fellow midfielder Fuka Nagano also having helped propel the women’s team to new heights since joining the club from North Carolina Courage last January. And, as in the case of her countryman, the limited fanfare that greeted Nagano's signing only serves to make the extent of her impact all the more impressive.

Diminutive in stature, the 25-year-old has shown herself to be adept at anchoring Liverpool's midfield, regularly dropping deep to break up play and set her team on the attack. She was one of three players brought in to bolster the Reds' engine room in January 2023 and, while other new recruits Sofie Lundgaard and Miri Taylor had to be patient before being afforded regular opportunities in the first team,