Wataru Endo shares how ex-Liverpool midfielder inspired him as a boy; it’s not Gerrard

Liverpool have had some amazing midfielders over the years and that’s certainly true in the current team too, though Wataru Endo has taken inspiration from one former player in the way he plays the game today.

Speaking with the Premier League, our No.3 was asked to name his idols and said: “[Javier] Mascherano. He played as a six but also played as a defender.

“He’s not tall but he could play both midfielder and centre-back. I was a defender when I was a boy and I was not tall as a centre-back, so I watched his game a lot.”

It’s interesting to hear how much importance the captain of his nation placed on our former player’s ability to also be able to play at the heart of defence, given how little we’ve seen him operate there.

When it comes to playing the holding role, there’s certainly similarities between the two but in terms of a central defender this is not something either men have demonstrated at Anfield.

Regardless, to base your game off the Argentinian who shone in our team and went on to become a key part of a dominating Barcelona squad too – you can’t find many better inspirations to have.

Wataru Endo has a lot of similarities to the way Javier Mascherano played

It’s clear that the former Stuttgart man has a real affinity to the club and this just further cements that there was clearly a love for the Reds before he became one of our players.

That’s what makes ever circling news of a possible departure for the Japanese international in January or the summer even more upsetting to read, as he obviously has a lot of respect for the team he plays for.

Add on his lovely comments about our fans during the recent victory over Brighton, it’s hard not to have a mutual feeling of love and respect for the midfielder too.

Whatever happens in the coming weeks and months, the 31-year-old still has an important role to play in helping us maintain our place as top of the Premier League.

You can watch Endo’s comments via Premier League on YouTube:

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