Wataru Endo, the star player for Liverpool, promised on Saturday to help Japan win the Asian Cup, so it may be some time before the manager of Liverpool returns.
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Liverpool may not be able to hire the midfield player until mid-February since he is in Qatar trying to help his nation win a fifth continental championship.
Earlier this month, Klopp made a joke about how he hoped Mohamed Salah, who is playing for Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations, and Endo would both go out early so they could go back to Anfield as soon as possible.
As pre-tournament favorites Japan get ready for their opening match against Vietnam on Sunday, Endo wants his club boss to hold off a little bit longer.
"Of course the coach meant that as a joke but I do feel very honoured that he feels I need to be back at Liverpool," the 30-year-old stated.
"I'm here now, I'm the captain of the team and all I'm thinking about is bringing the trophy back to Liverpool."
After joining Liverpool in the summer from Stuttgart, Endo became a staple in Klopp's midfield and was voted December's player of the month.
Along with helping the team win the Premier League, he has also contributed to their success in the League Cup, FA Cup, and Europa League.
Endo has accepted the role of captain since assuming it following the 2022 World Cup, and he is also essential to Japan's chances in that capacity.
"I haven't really gone about things in a different way -- communication is important and I like to speak to the players and the coaches," he stated.
"During the tournament, if I feel I have to step up and say something to the players I will, but I don't feel any need to do that at the moment."
Despite the winger's ankle injury from last month, Brighton's Kaoru Mitoma is also part of Japan's squad, according to coach Hajime Moriyasu.
According to Moriyasu, Mitoma might play against Iraq in their second game but not against Vietnam.
Philippe Troussier, a Frenchman who guided Japan to the 2000 Asian championship, is the coach of Vietnam.
"I'm sure he has done a lot of analysis of our team but we have also been watching the Vietnam team very closely," Moriyasu said.
"It will be a good game but we have to have the balance of being aggressive and being cautious of their team too."