Jurgen Klopp hails new Liverpool signing Wataru Endo as 'real monster'

Jurgen Klopp branded Wataru Endo a “real monster” on the pitch and backed the Japanese midfielder to make as much of a splash at Liverpool as James Milner did.

The 30-year-old's arrival from Stuttgart for around £16.2 million may come as underwhelming after Liverpool missed out on big-money signings Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia to Chelsea this week.

Liverpool have seen a number of midfielders depart the club this summer including Milner, who joined on a free transfer aged 29 but went on to become a regular and is viewed by Klopp as a major reason for their success, including Premier League and Champions League glory, in the last few years.

Endo has put pen to paper on a four-year contract and although he is touch-and-go to make his debut against Bournemouth on Saturday, Klopp is delighted with his latest acquisition.

Klopp said: “He is a late bloomer in his career and he was definitely underestimated for a long time. It is clear he has improved every year since he was on the proper football screen.

“There's no chance that anybody could [think he is 30], when you see him, you think 'is he allowed to drive a car?'. On the pitch, he turns into a real monster.

“One of the biggest LFC legends of my time was James Milner, he arrived here when he was 29. I can tell you without James Milner, we wouldn't have enjoyed success in recent years.

“Wataru can have a similar impact. The last week was obviously a tricky one. But when you have a problem you can stick to the problem or find a solution, I'm more than happy to have the solution.”

Liverpool had bids, significantly more than what they paid for Endo, accepted for Ecuador's Caicedo and Belgium's Lavia but the pair each opted to move to Stamford Bridge.

Klopp had “absolutely