Philippe Coutinho turns 30 on Saturday, and it’s fair to say the Aston Villa playmaker has experienced a career like no other....CONTINUE READING THE FULL ARTICLE>>>
After bursting onto the scene at Inter Milan, Brendan Rodgers brought him to Liverpool and he quickly became one of the most promising midfielders in the Premier League.
After later being developed by Jurgen Klopp, he moved to Barcelona for a whopping £142million, but his dream move quickly became a nightmare.
The Brazilian’s move to Barcelona remains one of the biggest transfer mysteries, as it seems he can perform at his best everywhere other than the Nou Camp.
He has since looked like his old self upon returning to the Premier League with Aston Villa, and to celebrate his birthday, Mirror Football take a look at the weird and wonderful career of Coutinho so far.
Jurgen Klopp influence
Although it was Rodgers that brought Coutinho to Liverpool, the Brazilian has credited Klopp as the man that made him the ‘complete midfielder’ as the pair shared a glowing relationship. However, he is probably regretting Klopp’s advice to stay, as Liverpool went on to win every single trophy in his absence.
Coutinho evolved into one of the best midfielders in the world under Klopp, and it’s no wonder why Barcelona were so desperate to sign him. Coutinho opened up while at Liverpool about how Klopp had changed the way that the team played, and also shared insight into how his game had been improved.
“I think the way he’s helped me to play when we don’t have the ball, when the team is under pressure, is really different,’ Coutinho told the club website. “We’ve changed how we play. We’ve tried to switch to a different style and I think that, bit-by-bit, I’m getting better with that and hopefully that can continue.
“I’m now in a deeper position and I’m always trying to improve, and be able to score goals and set off moves, because my position demands it. You become more involved in the game. It’s a position that I feel that I’ve adapted to and I like it.”
But it seems as though Klopp was the man of wisdom in other areas, as he advised Coutinho not to leave the club, as he would end up regretting it. Klopp said: “Stay here and they will end up building a statue in your honour.
“Go somewhere else, to Barcelona, to Bayern Munich, to Real Madrid, and you will be just another player. Here you can be something more.” And it’s probably advice that Coutinho now wishes he listened to.
£142m failure
Barcelona were keen to sign Coutinho in the summer of 2017 and had three bids rejected for the Brazilian, with the biggest offer reported to be £135m. Coutinho wanted to leave and submitted a transfer request, but he had to wait until January 2018 to get his wish.
The deal ended up costing Barcelona £142m, and Coutinho began brightly in his new no.14 shirt. He scored in El Clasico to kick-off his stint with the Catalan side, and scored a respectable eight La Liga goals between February and May in his first half season.
But it all went downhill from there, and Coutinho began to fall out of favour at Barcelona. The club were also starting to decline as their prestigious dominance began to dwindle. Coutinho became a frustrated figure on the bench, and the midfielder that was once world-class was completely drained of all confidence.
Coutinho secured a loan move to Bayern Munich, which offered up one of the biggest mysteries of them all. The Brazilian was fantastic for the German side, and Coutinho looked like his former Liverpool self once again.
And in the ultimate humiliation to his parent club, Coutinho came off the bench against Barcelona in the Champions League, and scored two goals in an 8-2 thrashing. Coutinho played a better game against Barcelona than he ever did for them, and he helped Bayern win the Champions League that season.
Coutinho seemingly shows no regrets leaving Liverpool though, and has since opened up about his time at Barcelona. “It wasn’t the experience I expected, but life is like that,” he said. “The only time I was worried was when I had a serious injury, I was out for nine months and I had three operations.
“It’s all part of the ups and downs of life. My dream was to play at Barcelona since I was a boy. But now that’s in the past and I’m eager for my future.”
Retirement fears
Just when Coutinho thought he had revived his career, he suffered a horror knee injury in December 2020, and the Brazilian thought that he may never play football again. Injuries were an unfortunate factor during his time at Barcelona, that perhaps contributed to his unsavoury time there.
But he was side-lined for nine months while out with a knee injury that saw him undergo surgery three times, and Coutinho thought that his time may be up. Thankfully for Coutinho he recovered, and upon returning to the first team after missing a whole season’s worth of football, he was very emotional.
“I couldn’t imagine myself playing again,” Coutinho revealed. “It was difficult to have that image in my head of Philippe on the field, but thank God the recovery evolved.
“Whoever saw me a while ago with crutches, with my leg straight for a long time, surely I will not I imagined running and exercising. I am ready for battle, they have been difficult days with a lot of uncertainty, but I have always had positive thoughts and knowing that all this was part of my growth as a professional and as a human being.
“Today I am prepared with a lot of desire to do what I do most. I love in this life.” And Coutinho looks as happy as ever at Villa, as his Premier League return has brought his smile back.
Aston Villa revival
If you’d have said four years ago that Coutinho would end up at Villa, no one would have believed you, and your sanity would have been questioned. But with a bit of help from new boss and old friend Steven Gerrard, Coutinho signed for the club on loan in January 2022.
The Brazilian has oozed class back in the Premier League, and he announced his return with a debut goal against Manchester United. It was as if it was written in the stars for the former Liverpool man, with Gerrard celebrating from the bench.
Coutinho’s loan move has since been made permanent, and Barcelona have made a staggering £125m loss as Villa only paid £17m for his services. Seeing Coutinho revive his career at a club like Villa has been a heartfelt moment for all football fans, and also a reminder that anything is possible in football.
Upon signing his permanent deal, Coutinho said: “I’m really happy, my family are really happy to be here. It’s a top club and I always felt welcome when I arrived here, from everyone, so for me today is a happy day.
“I’m already looking forward to the next year. I believe so much in the squad and the club, and we can achieve good things next year. He (Gerrard) believes in me. We’ve known each other for a long time and I felt very welcome from him and his staff when I arrived here.”
And of course, Klopp has also had his say on Coutinho’s return, and the German is delighted for his former star. “Phil was our boy for a long time,” Klopp said. “We respect him a lot and wish him all the best.”
