Wataru Endo described it as a “dream-come-true” moment after captaining Liverpool in a 3-1 pre-season win over Yokohama F. Marinos — the club he once trialled for but never joined.
Returning to his hometown, the Japan international played in a Liverpool shirt on home soil for the first time. Endo, who joined the Premier League champions in 2023, shared the significance of the occasion, saying it meant a lot to represent Liverpool in front of a Japanese crowd.
“I supported this club and went on trial, but I couldn’t join them. Now I came back as a Liverpool player — it was a dream-come-true moment,” Endo told the club’s official website.
Endo began his professional career at Shonan Bellmare, located just over 30km from Yokohama, before moving to Stuttgart in the Bundesliga and later joining Liverpool.
In the second half of the match, Virgil van Dijk handed Endo the captain’s armband, a gesture that resonated deeply with the local fans.
“I think all Japanese people maybe wanted me to be captain,” Endo added with a smile.
Liverpool kick off their Premier League title defence at home against Bournemouth on August 15.
