When a young footballer aspires to a professional club career, more often than not that involves getting to Europe.
But not for Tsubasa Endoh.
His journey to a professional career took a different path, one rarely taken by Japanese players, especially those coming out of high school – America.
Having graduated high school early, Endoh had his sights firmly set on a college education in America.
“I feel like a lot of people questioned me when I went to the (United) States because no one went to the States to become a pro,” Endoh told The Asian Game.
“There was no path for that. But at the end of the day that was the journey that I took.”
In truth, it was a journey that was set in stone from a young age when his mother forced him to learn English.
“Everyone asks me how I picked up English so quickly, and it’s a funny story, my Mum kind of forced me to learn English when I was 3-4 years old and I hated it,” the 26-year-old recalled.
“But when I grew up in Japan and I was in Middle School and High School I just loved learning English. But in school you only learn basic grammar and reading, you couldn’t really learn how to communicate with people in person and that was what I needed, but I wasn’t able to do it.”
So when the opportunity presented itself, Endoh jumped at the chance of moving the America.
“To be honest, I didn’t want to go to University in Japan because the system is just tragic,” he said.
“So that was no option for me. But this opportunity came at the right time and right place, I took it.
“It’s fun to go a path that no one has taken before, and that was the opportunity that I had and I was able to get a good education in the States, the environment was fantastic, and now I’m able to speak English.
“If I didn’t go to University in the States then that wouldn’t have happened at all.”
That’s not to say the transition was easy, however. Having lived away from home at a boarding school since age 11, he was used to being away from family. But being on the other side of the world was a new challenge.
In the first few weeks, he admits he struggled to come to terms with a new language, a new culture and a bitterly cold Maryland winter.
“To be honest it was just miserable for me for the first few weeks,” he admitted.
“I felt like I was isolated and didn’t know how to communicate with people, it was winter and it was so cold. Everything wasn’t going my way, so I had to fight my way to adjusting to a new country.”
And adjust he did, but not without a lot of hard work.
“When I first came to the States, to be honest, I couldn’t speak a word of English,” he said. “I was able (a little) to but not to a level where I was able to communicate well with people or my teammates.
“But thankfully I had great teammates in University and they helped me a lot every single day and that’s how I learned English.
“I had to go to English lessons every day for a year and a half, for five or six hours, and after that I had to practice, and then after that I had study sessions with my tutor. So my day was packed for a year and a half.”
It’s a path Endoh believes more Japanese players should follow, especially those coming from High School.
“The problem for most Japanese people is that they can’t speak English and they don’t want to take a path that requires a lot of studying time and studying English,” he explained.
“At the end of the day if you go to University you have to study and there’s a balance you have to make between playing Soccer and studying English or studying for school.
“At some point you have to make a sacrifice, and if you’re not willing to do that then that’s not the right place for you.
“At the end of the day if you cannot become a pro after graduating University there will be more options for you than graduating University in Japan, because now you have a degree in the States and you’re able to speak English. There’s so many options ahead of you.”
That was the appeal of the States for Endoh, but despite the added benefits of a good education, the dream was always to become a professional footballer, and in 2016 that dream came through when he was selected by Toronto FC with the ninth pick in the MLS Super Draft.
“To be honest I didn’t really follow Toronto FC when I was at University because I was in DC, so I was more watching DC United. ‘TFC’ (Toronto FC) just came out of nowhere and drafted me, so I was kind of unprepared,” an honest Endoh admitted.
“At first, I had never been to Canada before so I didn’t know what to expect from Canada, so I wasn’t sure (about the move).”
Embed from Getty ImagesFor a lot of players, moving to a new club as rich with the talent such as Toronto FC, might be a daunting prospect. At the time international names such as Sebastian Giovinco, Michael Bradley and Jozy Altidore were at the club and Toronto FC were one of the best clubs in MLS. It wasn’t an easy environment for a young player to break in to.
But right from the moment he walked through the doors at BMO Field, Endoh proved why Toronto selected him so early in the draft.
“When you’re a rookie, you (can) get nervous on the field because of those star players, but I wasn’t, I was very confident and throughout the pre-season I basically started all the games and I was very confident playing with them,” he said.
It lead to a breakthrough season for the 22-year-old, playing 21 games and scoring two goals as Toronto FC won their way through to the MLS Cup, eventually losing to Seattle Sounders on penalties.
While Endoh didn’t feature in the Playoffs, being an unused substitute in the Conference Finals and MLS Cup, he had demonstrated his talent and his career looked headed on an upward trajectory.
But nothing in life is ever that easy.
Endoh spent most of the following two seasons on loan at Toronto FC II, their reserves side playing in the USL Championship. It was a tough time.
But his performances in 2018 kept him on the radar of the first team, and in January of this year, he re-joined the first team with a point to prove.
“I just kept my head down and worked hard to get my opportunity and just kept training hard,” he said.
While it took until June for him to make his first appearance for the senior team again, when the opportunity presented, like he did in 2016, he grabbed it with both hands.
“I just got an opportunity out of nowhere and I took it,” he remarked. “And then I’ve kept playing, so I’m pretty happy about that.
“To be honest I feel like I earned it.”
Playing in 13 of the last 18 matches, he even scored in his first game back, finding the back of the net in the opening minute of a 3-2 win against Atlanta United.
Two more goals in the final four weeks finished off the season nicely as Toronto FC finished fourth in the Eastern Conference to move into the playoffs, having failed to do so the season previous.
With back-to-back wins over DC United and New York City FC, Toronto FC are now through to the Conference Semi-Finals and just one step away from another MLS Cup Final.
Having had to sit on the sidelines during the playoffs in 2016, Endoh knows how precious this opportunity is, having re-established himself back in the first team.
Still harbouring ambitions of playing for the national team, if there is one thing that will attract the attention of Hajime Moriyasu and his staff it’s a series of standout performances in the playoffs.
Having fought so hard just to get to this point, you sense for Endoh, this is just the beginning of the journey, not the final destination.
Photo: Tsubasa Endoh Official Facebook
Listen to our full interview with Tsubasa Endoh on Episode 38 of The Asian Game podcast.
