Stuttgart ink anchor Wataru Endo to new long-term deal
Almost a year to the day after their mid-fielding gem debuted for the club, VfB Stuttgart have inked Wataru Endo to a deal through 2024.
| Wataru Endo. | Photo: Jeollo, Vfb-exklusiv.de, CC BY-SA 3.0 |
The 27-year-old Japanese international has been nothing short of sensational this season; an irreplaceable linchpin in head coach Pellegrino Matarazzo's tactical scheme. Week in and week out, the entire Swabian strategic set-up begins and ends with his performance in midfield.
"With his footballing qualities, his mentality, and his professionalism, Wataru is a leader in the most literal sense of the word," Mislintat said in a statement.
Endo's play in midfield always invariably serves as quite the treat for those who appreciate watching a true impact player. He has started all eight Stuttgart fixtures this season, playing all 90 minutes in every case.
German footballing magazine Kicker accords him an average grade of 2,81. Website Ligainsider rates his overall performance at 2,94.
In a interview some weeks back, trainer Matarazzo labeled a match plan without Endo "impossible to conceive". He also called his most flexible performer the "central fulcrum" of the Stuttgart game.
Matarazzo's high-flying Badeners eye a massive upset against FC Bayern München this weekend.