Wataru Endo makes Liverpool vow and responds to Jurgen Klopp 'lie'

Wataru Endo has warned Liverpool he has no desire to return prematurely from the Asian Cup as he targets captaining Japan to continental glory.

The 30-year-old joined the Reds in a surprise £16.2m move from VfB Stuttgart in the summer after Liverpool missed out on both Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia to Chelsea. But after a slow start to life at Anfield, he has been one of Jurgen Klopp’s most impressive players in recent weeks.

Since coming off the bench to score his first Premier League goal in the 4-3 victory over Fulham at the start of December, the midfielder had shone in the absence of the injured Alexis Mac Allister. He would start eight matches in a row over the festive period, up to the Reds’ 4-2 win over Newcastle United on New Year’s Day, with his displays earning him the club’s Player of the Month award - voted for by the fans.

However, with Japan now looking to win the Asian Cup for a record fifth time, the 30-year-old is now away on international duty. He has missed Liverpool’s victories over Arsenal and Fulham in the FA Cup and League Cup already, and could be absent for eight matches in total if the Blue Samurai go all the way to the final on February 10.

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Endo was appointed Japan captain after the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, and boasts 55 international caps to date.

Meanwhile, he’ll be out to prove a point in the Middle East, having left as an unused substitute when Japan surprisingly lost to Qatar in the last Asian Cup final back in 2019.

After losing the services of both Endo and Mohamed Salah to international duty, Klopp would joke how he wanted