"I don't regret anything" - 29-year-old star says leaving Liverpool made him 'stronger'
Former Liverpool star Philippe Coutinho has revealed he does not regret leaving Merseyside for Barcelona even though things did not go the way he imagined.
The Brazilian became Liverpool’s most expensive sale in January 2018 when he was sold for a club-record €160 million.Coutinho struggled with injuries and form at Camp Nou, and had two different loan spells away from the club.
His first was at Bayern Munich. While he didn’t enjoy a lot of playing time, he was part of a treble-winning squad.
Philippe Coutinho (Aston Villa): "Barça? It was not the experience I expected but life is like that. The only time I was worried was when I got a bad injury. I was out for nine months and had three surgeries." [mail] https://t.co/5ZjShvqRNt
After a long-term injury in the 2020-21 season, Coutinho struggled had a difficult summer last year and was behind the pecking order early on under former manager Ronald Koeman.
The 29-year-old failed to shine under Xavi and was loaned out to Aston Villa in January this year. Following some impressive displays, his loan move was made permanent a fortnight or so ago.
Coutinho explained that he does not regret leaving Liverpool, a club where he had the best of his playing days. He also said the difficulties have made him stronger mentally:
“I don’t regret anything. It’s all part of life’s ups and downs. It was my dream to play at Barcelona since I was a child. But now it’s in the past and I am looking forward to my future here."
“Also I learned a lot in that time. It was a very difficult time for me but it made me stronger in my head. From that point on it was important for me. I missed it a lot and now I feel more love for the game.”
Coutinho will hope to reach the same heights he managed at Liverpool
After a promising second half of the season, Coutinho needs to start next season at a good physical level. Injuries have not been kind to the midfielder, so he needs a strong pre-season to find some rhythm early on next season.
#avfc
Coutinho on signing for Aston Villa 🗣
'It didn't take long to decide because I wanted to play and this was a big opportunity. Now I am very happy that I have signed.”
So are we 👏 #avfc https://t.co/0lldJbqcDS
The presence of Steven Gerrard, who knows his game inside out, could help the Brazilian next season. The chance to become the creative focal point of the Villa side might also help him rekindle some of his old magic that he showed on a regular basis at Liverpool.