Wataru Endo showed a real touch of class in the immediate aftermath of Liverpool’s 2-0 win over Ipswich on Saturday.
The 31-year-old had to make do with a watching brief from the substitutes’ bench at Portman Road as Arne Slot selected a midfield trio of Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai.
As the Reds players applauded their travelling support after the final whistle, the Japan captain made a beeline for his young Dutch teammate and offered him a congratulatory embrace, proceeding to do the same to the Hungary skipper.
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Even if Endo doesn’t feature as a regular starter this season, such classy gestures indicate that he’ll still be a vital presence within the squad, with the ex-Stuttgart man evidently putting aside any personal disappointment on Saturday with a genuine show of appreciation for his fellow midfielders.
Slot will have loved it, and so would the rest of the Liverpool squad.
You can view Endo congratulating Gravenberch and Szoboszlai below, via @greyvslz on X:
This is one of the reasons why Wataru Endo is still an important squad player in the Liverpool team.
Cheering on and congratulating his teammates with their great performances even after being dropped to the bench.
Definitely a great personality to have in the dressing room!… pic.twitter.com/v34kn4xizj
— Grëy (@greyvslz) August 19, 2024
Endo is not a Darwin.