Lucas Leiva singled out one Liverpool player for praise following the 1-1 draw against Manchester City on Sunday.
There were several standout performers on show from both sides in a pulsating clash which showed why these two teams are vying for the Premier League title, and the official Player of the Match award from LFC went to Wataru Endo.
The Brazilian seemed to agree with that selection, as he posted on X afterwards: “What a player you are @wataru0209, makes the team keep going and connecting all the time.”
Lucas is well placed to comment on Endo’s performances, having operated in a similar defensive midfield role for Liverpool for a decade between 2007 and 2017.
The 31-year-old was worthy of every bit of praise which has come his way, keeping the Reds ticking over with his tigerish performances in the engine room at Anfield and brilliantly besting Kevin De Bruyne at one point on Sunday.
FOLLOW Empire of the Kop on Instagram (@empireofthekop) HERE
As per Sofascore, the Japan captain was his typical industrious self yesterday, winning four tackles, making two interceptions and coming out on top in six of his seven duels. He was also excellent in possession, completing 59 of his 62 passes (95% success rate) and executing one key pass.
Endo’s excellence in the number 6 role has also helped to unlock the full potential of Alexis Mac Allister in this Liverpool team, enabling him to play further forward and provide killer deliveries for the Reds’ forwards, such as his exquisite assist for Darwin Nunez’s stoppage time winner at Nottingham Forest.
It’s fantastic to see the ex-Stuttgart midfielder getting the credit that his tireless performances deserve, and if we are to win further silverware this season, he’ll have played a massive part in it.
More must-reads: