Arne Slot must give chance to 'world class' Liverpool star he barely ever uses

It has been quite the change in circumstance for Wataru Endo in his second season at Anfield. In his debut year at Liverpool, the understated Japan captain became a pivotal player for Jurgen Klopp.

A surprise £16million signing from Stuttgart, Endo arrived after Klopp missed out on Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia and ended up being an unlikely success. He played 43 games and racked up 2,758 minutes, more than fellow new additions Dominik Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch.

Klopp enthused: “What can you expect? That you sign a 30-year-old captain of Japan and he will be a standout player in the Premier League?

“That he would be a good player, we knew, but what he’s making of that role… You never know that people can develop to world-class, but that’s what happened.”

This season, though, Gravenberch has become the go-to ‘defensive’ midfielder for Arne Slot after struggling to feature under Klopp. Endo has been limited to a measly 167 minutes across all competitions and only four outfield players have played less this season.

Endo has yet to start a Premier League match after starting 20 last year. Yet Slot said in October after a cameo off the bench against Crystal Palace: “If you look at how Wata came in now, how good he was on the ball but also the second balls that he won.

“He had only in these seven minutes a very good impact. Wata, with only playing five minutes, he gives that performance – that says a lot about him as a person.”

But since then, he has only been afforded 82 minutes out of an available 990 in the league and cups. Endo has confirmed he’s spoken to Slot about it and explained: “I’m so grateful that he knows that I always try to work hard on the pitch.

“It’s good that he came to me to talk about that. To play for Liverpool is not easy, so the manager told me that we needed everyone.”

With the Merseyside outfit facing a hectic festive fixture schedule, it is now time for Slot to reward the combative Japanese man’s dedication.

Gravenberch has denied feeling fatigued but produced his poorest performance of the season at Newcastle last week. While the Reds got a rare weekend off thanks to the postponement of the Merseyside derby, the trip to Girona surely offers another chance to rest him.

Liverpool are already comfortably in the top eight of the Champions League table. Girona are 30th out of 36 with one win from five games and only four goals scored.

While Michel’s La Liga side should not be completely disregarded, a partnership of Endo and Curtis Jones would offer enough security in and out of possession to lead Liverpool to victory, especially if the tireless Dominik Szoboszlai is then deployed in the No.10 role in front of them.

With a Carabao Cup quarter-final at Southampton next week, Endo and Harvey Elliott will be among those hoping – and likely – to start. This match in Spain therefore represents a chance to improve their match sharpness in advance of that cup tie.

Slot is keenly aware of Endo’s abilities off the ball as he’s already made clear. And with Alexis Mac Allister suspended against Girona, it’s time to offer Endo a chance to show them off again.