Wataru Endo’s jersey number has been confirmed – and why he chose it

Wataru Endo’s transfer to Liverpool is official after swapping Stuttgart for Anfield and his new shirt number has been confirmed.

Endo has been announced as the Reds’ third signing this summer, following the additions of Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai.

The 30-year-old arrives to bring experience to the squad after James Milner, Jordan Henderson and Fabinho left for other projects.

The deal is valued at around £16.24million and the move marks a dream come true for Endo in a career that has seen him hone his craft in Japan, Belgium and Germany.

He can now add England to the list and adopted the number 3 shirt worn by Fabinho when he arrived at Liverpool. “Number three is my number because I played as number 3 in Stuttgart,” he explained. “And also when I played in Japan. I love this song! I can’t wait to play this song here.”

Others who have worn the shirt in the Premier League era include Steve Finnan, Paul Konchesky and Bjorn Tore Kvarme.

Endo arrives not too dissimilar to Szoboszlai, with little time between news of the breakdown of Liverpool’s chase and the official announcement.

The Japan captain arrives with a significantly lower profile than the Reds’ first two signings this summer, but he is highly regarded in Germany having made 133 appearances for Stuttgart. Despite being a defensive midfielder by trade, Endo can play at centre-back and has even had a chance at right-back, fitting into the form left behind by Milner earlier this summer.

It could prove a wise move for Liverpool, although that will only be the case if they also add a younger, more prominent No6 to their ranks before the September 1 deadline.