Wataru Endo has quickly become one of Liverpool's most important players this season, and the Japanese midfielder says his inspirational father is the reason why his move to Anfield went from a dream to becoming a reality.
Endo joined the Reds last summer from Stuttgart and is the 13th Japanese player to play in the Premier League, which is celebrating its diversity through the theme of "Greatness comes from Everywhere" as part of the No Room For Racism initiative.
"My father definitely inspired me the most," Endo said. "I watched my father play football a lot, so that also inspired me to play, and I liked playing with my friends.
"He’s not very talkative, but he always told me to think for myself, to act on my decisions and to choose my own path in life. I believed in myself and my determination for success never waned."
Endo played in Japan before moving to Belgium in 2018 to play for Sint-Truidense and then Stuttgart in 2019. He always dreamed of playing in the Premier League but never thought he'd join a club like Liverpool.
"As well as the J.League [in Japan], I started watching a lot of Premier League matches, and that is when I started to dream of playing in the Premier League," the 31-year-old added.
"To see someone like me come from a small club and play in the Premier League means a lot to the Japanese football world.
"I dreamed it, of course, but I never thought I’d play for a team like Liverpool. It was nothing concrete, just a simple dream. I just knew I wanted to play in the Premier League some day, but now I find myself living that dream.
"I’m really pleased that I followed my dream and continued to work hard, and that I was able to succeed in making it here, because I hope that my story will influence other children to do so in the future."