Virgil van Dijk showcased his true nature with a kind gesture to his teammate Wataru Endo during Liverpool's tour of Japan last year. However, the defender has been robbed of the chance to go head-to-head with his club teammate at this summer's World Cup.
Endo Forced to Withdraw from World Cup
Endo has been forced to withdraw from the Japan squad due to a broken foot and has now called time on his international career. He said: "Since my injury, I've done everything I possibly could up to this point, so I have no regrets whatsoever. From here on, I'll be cheering for the Japan national team as one of the fans."
The Netherlands, captained by Van Dijk, face Japan in both nations' opening World Cup fixture this weekend. This comes a year after the Dutchman displayed the greatest respect to his Japanese colleague during a preseason visit to Endo's homeland.
Van Dijk's Thoughtful Act
The Reds headed to Japan to take on Yokohama F. Marinos and claimed a 3-1 victory. One of the standout moments from the match was Endo entering the pitch to replace Van Dijk in the second half and being handed the captain's armband.
The midfielder disclosed he had undergone a trial with Yokohama as a teenager but didn't sign, creating a poignant full-circle moment as he captained his Liverpool side to triumph. The 33-year-old said at the time: "I supported this club actually, and I went to [a] trial, but I couldn't join this club. Now I came back here as a player of (Liverpool). It was a dream-come-true moment."
On Van Dijk's thoughtful act, Endo added: "I think it was a great gesture. I think all Japanese people maybe wanted me to be captain."
Endo's Injury and Retirement
Van Dijk will be gutted not to come up against Endo on Sunday afternoon as the Dutch meet the Japanese in a Group F encounter. Endo suffered a broken left foot and a ruptured ligament against Sunderland in February and didn't feature again during the run-in.
Endo was included in the World Cup squad for Japan and registered 45 minutes in a friendly against Iceland. However, he was withdrawn due to continued pain and has now been replaced by Borussia Monchengladbach's Shuto Machino.
Liverpool confirmed Endo's withdrawal as they said: "Wataru Endo has withdrawn from Japan's World Cup squad due to injury, and announced his retirement from international football. Keep your head up, Wata."
Endo has racked up 73 caps for Japan since his debut in 2015 and attracted the Reds' attention at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. He secured a move to Anfield just over six months after the major tournament and has lifted the Premier League and Carabao Cup during his spell in England.
With just a year remaining on his Liverpool contract, the 33-year-old has become a fan favourite among the Anfield faithful due to his versatility to perform a role anywhere across the pitch.
