Virgil van Dijk makes PLEA for dressing room leader to stay

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has relied on a core group of players for this Premier League season.

Ten players have played over 2000 minutes - led by Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah and Ryan Gravenberch - and four more have made the 1000-minute threshold.

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Slot knows who he likes in this Liverpool squad and has sought to keep changes to a minimum - other than injuries and suspensions - all season long.

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That has led to frustration for several Liverpool stars who previously played a bigger role at the club. Harvey Elliott for example has only played 175 Premier League minutes this season while Jarell Quansah has only played 308.

Another Liverpool favourite who has had to settle for a bench role this season is Wataru Endo. Seen as surplus to requirements last summer by Slot, the 32-year-old was close to joining Marseille before the season began.

The price wasn’t right for the Reds however and the Japan captain stayed. But he has not made a single Premier League start since, playing only 16 times and earning 143 minutes on the pitch.

Endo linked with Liverpool exit

He has developed a reputation as a “closer” - coming off the bench with a few minutes to go in order to shore things up.

Given his relative lack of action, it’s been suggested that the former Stuttgart man could be on his way this summer with Wolves, Fulham, Celtic and AC Milan all credited with interest throughout the season.

But if captain Van Dijk has his way then Endo will be going NOWHERE as the Dutchman credits Endo with being one of the leaders in the squad.

He suggested he would favour the midfielder staying at the club beyond the transfer window, with his current contract expiring in 2027.

Van Dijk wants Endo to stay

"Wata is very important on and off the pitch," Van Dijk told the Liverpool Echo. "Obviously he plays a little bit less than he did last year but he is so important when he comes on to kill the game, to bring the experience that he has.

"But also off the pitch, he is one of the leaders and I'm really happy to have him. I know it's me speaking as the captain but you need certain leaders around to build on and help and Wata is definitely one of those.

“I am really happy with him and hopefully he can still be around for at least another few years."

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With Van Dijk’s future tied to the club until 2027, his words will carry significant weight heading into the summer transfer window.