The likes of Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai have stolen the headlines this season as they have all taken another step-up under Arne Slot,
The fourth man of the midfield evolution from the summer of 2023 is Wataru Endo. His game, albeit not nearly as eye-catching as the others', has its own importance within the Liverpool setup.
Even with that said, there are times where you get the feeling he gets overlooked or does not receive his due credit for the work he does for the team. However, that appears to be changing for the better once again.
The Closer
Some Reds fans have come to calling Endo "The Closer" in recent times for his knack for coming on in the latter stages of matches Liverpool hold leads and shutting the door to make sure no tomfoolery occurs.
This no-nonsense professionalism from the Japan international is not always the flashiest thing to watch, but it's needed.
Slot has plenty of flair and technically gifted players at his disposal, what he lacks are players with steel to bite into challenges and are not afraid of doing the dirty work.
This desire to grind and make sure all the bases are covered gives Endo a special spot in the rotation as he is for sure a player the coaching staff can trust in tough moments. His reading of the game, organization and work-rate make him an ideal midfield "closer" indeed.
Chasing down several trophies means it is very important to have a player willing to get stuck in to cover the cracks.
Bouncing back under Arne
There was a time in winter of last season when Endo was locked into Jurgen Klopp's Starting XI. It was Gravenberch that was confined to the bench in favor of our No. 3.
However, he hit a rough patch of form, as did a lot of the team, in the spring stretch and the departure of Klopp meant he was even shopped over the summer.
Yet, despite now being in his thirties and facing a new manager, Wataru wanted to stay and fight for his place in the squad, which if you know him as a player, should not have surprised anyone at all.
With the explosion of Gravenberch to top-class levels this season, Endo has seen minutes hard to come by on a consistent basis. One thing going in his favor is his playing style carries no matter how much or how little he plays.
With Harvey Elliott shockingly on the fringes these days, there is another spot in the midfield rotation under Slot.
The former Stuttgart midfielder is embracing his role of closing out matches and seeing off stubborn opposition.
Give him his flowers
It should be a telling sign that despite his lack of minutes, he has worn the armband for Liverpool at various stages of the season.
That in of itself is no small feat and should be a sign of how important and well respected he is within the locker room at Anfield.
As he thrives in his newfound role, his professionalism and class are being given the proper spotlight as often players of his ilk get forgotten in the click-bait obsessed social media world we all know today.
Luckily, fans and the club seemingly recognize how valuable he is to this journey towards glory in 2024/25.
In the end, flowers or no flowers, kudos or not, he is going to grab his lunch pail and go to work whenever called upon which is indeed a mighty thing to see.