(Reuters) -Wataru Endo said he could not join Yokohama F Marinos after a trial at the J-League club years ago, after the Japan midfielder returned to his hometown side on Wednesday as a Liverpool player.
It was the first time Endo played in the Liverpool shirt in his own country as the Premier League champions beat Yokohama 3-1 in a pre-season friendly.
"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," the 32-year-old told Liverpool's official website.
"It was an amazing moment for me because I came back to Japan as a Liverpool player. For me, it meant a lot."
Endo made his senior debut at Shonan Bellmare, a club based in Hiratsuka, over 30 kilometres away from Yokohama. He played for Bundesliga side VfB Stuttgart before joining Liverpool in 2023.
Virgil van Dijk handed Endo the captain's armband as the latter replaced the Dutchman in the second half.
"I think it was a great gesture. I think all Japanese people maybe wanted me to be captain," Endo added.
Liverpool begin their Premier League title defence with a home game against Bournemouth on August 15.
(Reporting by Chiranjit Ojha in Bengaluru, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
