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Wataru Endo is confident of leading Japan to success at the AFC Asian Cup, after a stellar start to his Liverpool career.
The midfielder, who joined the Reds from VfB Stuttgart in the summer, has been a revelation in the Premier League, scoring four goals and providing six assists in 19 appearances.
He capped off his club duties with a man-of-the-match display in Liverpool's 4-2 win over Newcastle United on Monday, before flying out to join his national team in Qatar.
Endo, who has 67 caps and 10 goals for Japan, will wear
the captain's armband for the Asian Cup, which kicks off on January 12.
He said he was looking forward to the challenge of competing against the best teams in Asia, but also admitted he was sad to miss some important games for Liverpool.
"I'm very happy with how I've adapted to Liverpool and the Premier League. It's a dream come true to play for such a big club and under such a great manager," Endo said.
"But I'm also very proud to represent my country and I want to do my best to help Japan win the Asian Cup. It's a tough tournament, but we have a strong squad and a lot of confidence."
He added: "Of course, I'm a bit disappointed to miss some big games for Liverpool, especially the Carabao Cup semi-finals against Fulham. But I'm sure the team will do well without me and I'll be cheering them on from Qatar."
Endo will hope to emulate his compatriot Shinji Kagawa, who won the Asian Cup with Japan in 2011, while playing for Borussia Dortmund.
Japan are in Group B of the Asian Cup, along with Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan and Oman. They will face Saudi Arabia in their opening match on January 13.
