Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo is on a fast-track to cult status. He has recently explained how his teammates have helped him adapt to the Premier League.

Signed by Jurgen Klopp as a budget alternative after moves for Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia came to nothing, Endo more than repaid his fee in a surprisingly prominent debut campaign. The highlight was surely a heroic 120-minute shift in the Carabao Cup final, where he won the midfield battle against none other than Caicedo.

When Arne Slot arrived, Endo was written off all over again. Yet defying expectations, the former Bundesliga veteran has continued to make a difference in the Premier League, repeatedly coming on to help Liverpool see games out.

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Had Liverpool successfully signed Martin Zubimendi in the summer, perhaps Endo's time at the club really would have been up. But his entire Anfield career to date has been based on opportunism, and he has seized every chance that has come his way.

Fully committed since day one, Endo did initially look a little off the pace of the Premier League. He has revealed that he has leaned on his teammates during his period of adaptation:

"The Premier League is very hard," Endo admitted on the Red Machine podcast, released by Kodansha. "It took me some time to adapt but here I play in Liverpool, so even in training the intensity is so high.

"We have a lot of quality players. I think it's also a good thing for me to adapt to the Premier League as well. We train like we play in the Premier League every day — I think that made us and me stronger."

Endo has undoubtedly got to grips with the pace of the league over his 18 months at the club. Still a tough-tackling, full-blooded presence when required, he has also shown some lovely touches on the ball, and boasts one of the best pass completion rates in the league over the past year.

And he's right: training with Liverpool is a surefire way to raise your level. Slot insists on intensity just as much as Klopp before him, and if you can hold your own against the likes of Mohamed Salah, you'll probably do okay when thrown into competitive action.

The Premier League no longer insists upon five games played in order to hand out a Premier League medal, but Endo has already passed that threshold. And if Liverpool does claim the top prize this season, he will have played his part.

32 next month, whether Endo's Liverpool career extends beyond the end of the current campaign remains to be seen. But if there's one thing we should have learned by now, it's that we should not rule it out.