"I have a beautiful story at Liverpool" - Barcelona loanee Philippe Coutinho comments on his time in England
Former Liverpool midfielder Philippe Coutinho has revealed that his time at Anfield was beautiful and admitted that his Barcelona career hasn't gone according to plan.
The 29-year-old spent five years with the Reds and forged a reputation as one of the best players in the Premier League. His displays for the Anfield outfit garnered attention around the continent. He eventually completed a mega transfer for up to £142 million to Barcelona in 2018.
Coutinho's dazzling performance at Old Trafford, on this day in 2016 
🇧🇷 Coutinho's dazzling performance at Old Trafford, on this day in 2016 ✨
@LFC | #UEL https://t.co/wTGBIXlDV9
However, things did not go to plan at Camp Nou and Coutinho has since fallen from the previous heights he occupied. The Brazil international spoke to Globo about his time with Liverpool and said:
“Perhaps ‘stronger than before’ fits right here. You can’t play in England without being physically fit. I have a beautiful story at Liverpool, I was happy there, now I’m starting to write a story at Aston Villa. I’m happy that once again I’m able to play well in England, as I’ve played in Italy, Spain and Germany.”
He also spoke about his career at Barcelona and said:
“It’s hard to say what didn’t work [at Barca], maybe some points from what you mentioned [injuries]. I had good times there, but the sequence and the way of acting were factors that could have been different.”
The Brazilian added:
“It was time to move forward, always with great respect and professionalism. I am grateful to Barcelona for believing in my work and grateful for having defended a club with a history built.”
Coutinho joined Liverpool i n2013 after an underwhelming spell with Inter Milan. The Reds were far from the dominant force they are today but Coutinho's output helped position them for the glory they currently enjoy. He scored 54 goals and made 45 assists in 201 appearances for the club in all competitions.
He departed right when the club were on the cusp of reclaiming their spot at the summit of the domestic and continental game. Since then, the club and player have moved in opposite directions. Coutinho is currently a shadow of the player he once was.
Philippe Coutinho's career took a nosedive after leaving Liverpool for Barcelona
Barcelona made Coutinho their most expensive signing in history in January 2018 and it was expected that he would fill the void left by Andres Iniesta.
However, that has not been the case and a combination of injuries, loss of form and confidence have contributed to hamper Coutinho's output. He scored 25 goals and made 14 assists in 106 games for the Blaugrana in all competitions.
Coutinho back where he belongs in the Brazil squad 🤩 🇧🇷 #avfc https://t.co/90luS9ns9H
Aston Villa signed the former Bayern Munich man on loan in January 2022 for the rest of the season. The move brought him into contact with former teammate Steven Gerrard, who is currently the coach of the Birmingham outfit.
So far, the Brazilian has started life well at Villa Park, weighing in with four goals and three assists in his first 10 Premier League matches.