Liverpool star Wataru Endo has not been included in Japan’s Olympics squad
According to reliable journalist David Lynch, Liverpool star Wataru Endo has been left out of Japan’s 2024 Olympic squad.
The defensive midfielder was considered for selection as one of the three permitted over-age players for what is an otherwise under-23 tournament in Paris, France. However, Japan head coach Go Oiwa stated in a press conference in Tokyo that the restrictions on European players led to no over-age players being selected, including Wataru Endo.
The news of the 31-year-old not getting called up to the Japan squad for the Olympic Games comes as a big boost for Arne Slot and Liverpool. With the football tournament of the Olympic Games in Paris slated to take place between July 24 and August 10, any involvement would have meant Endo missing a large chunk of Liverpool’s pre-season.
Liverpool players return to training on Friday, as Arne Slot, who replaced Jurgen Klopp in the managerial hotseat earlier this summer, begins preparations for the upcoming pre-season tour. Due to international tournaments such as European Championships and Copa America happening, the current squad set to fly for the tour will involve a mixture of fringe and squad players.
From his official X account, David Lynch tweeted that Endo will be available for the Reds’ full pre-season schedule. This news comes days after Stefan Bajcetic’s non-inclusion in the Spain squad for the Olympic games. Egypt want Mohamed Salah to participate in the Paris games but the Reds superstar is expected to deny their request and join Arne Slot’s squad for the pre-season tour.
Had Endo been selected, he would have become the first Japanese player ever to feature at three Olympic Games. However, having not gotten the nod, he will now be able to fully focus on the upcoming pre-season tour and impress our new manager Arne Slot.
The 31-year-old had a decent debut campaign for the Reds. He featured in 29 Premier League games as the Merseysiders finished third in Jurgen Klopp’s final season. The Japanese’s presence as an enforcer allowed the likes of Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai to thrive in their respective roles and influence the proceedings in the final third of the pitch.
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The disruption of the international tournaments—2024 Euro and Copa America—have not been ideal for our new coach Arne Slot in terms of evaluating the squad and making decisions ahead of his debut season at Anfield. The Dutchman would have wanted the entire squad to be available for pre-season but that isn’t the case.
That said, it will be great to see Endo being available for the friendly fixtures, and as the only specialist senior holding midfielder in the squad, he will be hoping to enjoy a big 2024/25 campaign under Slot. Now with Arne Slot set for a full pre-season with his stars, Jurgen Klopp’s successor will aim to get them ready for the new campaign.
