Why does Wataru Endo wear a gumshield?

Wataru Endo has become a cult figure for Liverpool but there is one mystery about his gumshield no one seems to know.

The Japanese midfielder has been wearing gumshieds since he arrived in Europe.

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It's unusual for a footballer to wear gumshields, with the practise more common in higher intensity contact sports like Rugby or American Football.

However, Endo has a good reason why he opted to wear the gumshields and it's not just simply to protect his teeth.

He has explained all of this in his autobiography, Duel, which has been published in Japan.

Why does Wataru Endo wear a gumshield?

In his autobiography, Endo explains that his decision to wear a gumshield was inspired by a Japanese dentist who works in Germany and who even had an offer to work for Bayern Munich that he rejected, called Jun Miyagawa.

"The most important point of a gumshield is to protect your teeth," Endo explains in his book.

"Soccer is a contact sport, and although it is not as common as rugby or American football, it is possible for teeth to break due to impact.

"It happens often. Our first goal was to prevent that. So in my case, I don't just wear it on my upper jaw like many athletes, but I wear it on my lower jaw. I have had the patient's bite adjusted.

"The key points for this combination is not to press on with your back teeth and to open your mouth appropriately.

"This is because, unless it's a sport like weightlifting, there's no need to expect extreme maximum output; rather, the main focus is on keeping this position in a relaxed state.

"When I asked Dr. Miyagawa about the purpose of the gumshield, I thought it made sense, and at the same time, I thought that it was similar to how my own body feels.

"I will write more about this later, but I felt that using my body to 'use all the power of my whole body' in training was inefficient and inaccurate in terms of performance.

"Rather, the important thing is how to use the power in a relaxed and efficient manner. It was a very important feeling when competing against the world.

"Through trial and error, we adjusted the bite, jaw position, and material, and had many gumshields made for me. Including prototypes, we have produced over 60 actual products over the last two years."

Endo goes onto explain that this in turn makes him a better player and someone who is more relaxed on the pitch and more confident to enter strong physical duels.

"I no longer have the fear of breaking my teeth. I started to be able to hit 'one vs. one' with all my might. I don't want to go to a game without my gumshield.

"In addition, by continuing to be conscious of the position of my jaw, it allows me to relax.

"Now I understand. It's now an absolutely indispensable tool when I'm on the pitch."

This pretty much summarises the potential attitude and the need for perfection and efficiency of the Japanese midfielder.

Endo is always looking to optimise his performance and get an edge, even to the very last tiny details of the game.

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