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Wataru Endo portraitMF
Photo: Endoyatto · Public domain

Player profile

Wataru Endo

Midfielder · Liverpool

JapanActive

Wataru Endo is Liverpool’s No.3, still under contract to June 2027, after retiring from Japan when a foot injury ruled him out of the 2026 World Cup.

Career

The Yokohama-born holding midfielder captained VfB Stuttgart, joined Liverpool for £16 million in August 2023 and won the 2024 League Cup and the 2024–25 Premier League. LFChistory records 87 appearances and two goals in all competitions through 11 February 2026.

A persistent foot problem from the 11 February 2026 Sunderland match ended his 2025–26 season. He played 45 minutes in a 1–0 Japan friendly with Iceland, then on 11 June 2026 announced his international retirement after being left out of Hajime Moriyasu’s World Cup squad (The Independent).

How they play

A tenacious defensive midfielder who can also fill in at centre-back, valued more for interceptions and positioning than goals — Liverpool’s own profile calls out leadership and tenacity.

Where they are now

Liverpool’s site still lists him in the men’s squad. ESPN has him as a Liverpool midfielder with Nottingham Forest on 29 August 2026 as the next Premier League date, after pre-season friendlies against Monaco and Como.

Bio

Date of birthFebruary 9, 1993 (age 33)
BirthplaceYokohama
Height178 cm
PositionMidfielder
StatusActive
Current clubLiverpool

Club career

  1. Liverpool F.C.2023
  2. VfB Stuttgart2020–2023
  3. VfB Stuttgart2019–2020
  4. Sint-Truidense V.V.2018–2020
  5. Urawa Red Diamonds2016–2018
  6. Shonan Bellmare2010–2015

International career

  1. Japan men's national football teamSince 2015Current

Youth caps: U23 (2015–2016) · U20 (2012) · U17 (2009–2010)

Honours

No honours on record yet.

Defining moments

  1. Premier League winner2025

    Endo was part of the Liverpool squad that won the 2024–25 Premier League, adding an English title to the 2024 League Cup.

  2. Japan captain steps away2026

    On 11 June 2026 he wrote that he was leaving the World Cup squad and retiring from the national team, ending a captaincy that began after Qatar 2022.

Latest season stats (ESPN)

Starts (sub-ins): 0 (0)Goals: 0Assists: 0Shots: 0

In our archive

0 appearances0 goals0 assists

We haven’t archived a match featuring this player yet — appearances appear here the moment we cover one.

Sources

Read for this profile

Profile written / last reviewed August 27, 2026.

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Comments

0/2000

Be decent. No links. Slurs are held for review, not published.

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