Japan’s captain, Wataru Endo, has been ruled out of the World Cup with injury and has announced his international retirement, three days before his team’s tournament opener against the Netherlands.
The 33-year-old had been sidelined since February with a foot injury but returned to full training in the final weeks of the season and was on the bench for Liverpool’s final game of the season.
The Liverpool midfielder pulled out of the tournament after failing to recover from a foot injury, and was replaced in Japan’s squad by Borussia Monchengladbach’s Shuto Machino on Thursday.
In a statement on social media, Endo wrote: “As announced, I will be stepping away from the World Cup squad”.
“Of course, there’s frustration at not being able to participate in this World Cup, but more than that, I’m proud of how we’ve grown together since the Qatar World Cup — me as captain, leading this team and turning our goal of ‘winning the World Cup’ into something we can say as a matter of course.
“The current team is truly a wonderful team. I believe they will overcome any adversity and show us sights we’ve never seen before.
“With this campaign, I will be retiring from the national team. So from here on, I’ll be cheering for the Japan national team as one of the fans. The moment when the Japan national team wins the World Cup will surely come someday. Let’s believe in that and cheer them on together.
“And let’s unite Japan’s strength as one so that moment comes in this tournament –everyone, let’s take on the North and Central America World Cup together!! Everyone, give it everything you’ve got.”
Endo departs the international stage with 73 caps and four goals to his name since he made his Samurai Blue bow in 2015, and had been captain since after the last World Cup in Qatar.