He may not be the most popular “Endo” in the Premier League, but Wataru Endo is making a name for himself. The Japanese defensive midfielder has put in a solid string of performances, quickly winning the hearts of Liverpool fans. Yet, his peculiar style on the pitch is more than his football: Endo also wears a mouthguard. <\/p>\n
In the player’s autobiography Duel<\/em>, the footballer unearthed one of the secrets behind his battling success on the pitch. The 30-year-old writes: “From the 2020\/21 season, I started wearing a mouthguard while playing. Now, it’s become so important to me that I can say that I’m afraid to play soccer without it.”<\/p>\n “I first started using it when I met a dentist named Jun Miyagawa who lives in Germany. Mr. Miyagawa explained to me that: ‘Even monkeys have beautiful teeth, it’s only humans who get their teeth loose,’ and that ‘Resetting the jaw joint to its proper position will improve both the mind and body.’”<\/p>\n “The most important point of a mouthpiece is to protect your teeth. 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. My first goal was to prevent that.”<\/p>\n