Aston Villa midfielder Philippe Coutinho has insisted he always intended to return to the Premier League, but it is an honour to do it playing for Steven Gerrard.
Coutinho spent five years in the Premier League after joining Liverpool from Inter Milan in an £11.7m deal in 2013.
He would go on to become one of the star men for the Reds under Brendan Rodgers and Jurgen Klopp, racking up 54 goals and 45 assists in 201 games for the club before a £121m move to Barcelona in January 2018.
His career has taken a dramatic downturn since that point, with the Brazilian struggling to live up to his price tag or the expectations that came with it at the Nou Camp.
They’ve been keen to get rid of him for some time, first sending the Brazilian on loan to Bayern in 2019 and then Aston Villa in the January transfer window.
His move to Villa Park sees him reunite with former teammate Steven Gerrard, who Aston Villa brought in to replace Dean Smith back in November.
That’s something Coutinho is delighted with, sharing his pride at the reunion in a recent interview with ESPN’s Brazil edition.
“I am very happy,” he said.
“Of course, I was very keen to get back to the Premier League, I’m at a great club which makes me very happy.
“I’ve always admired him (Gerrard) a lot. For me, it was an honour to have played with him. Now having him as a coach, with the experience he passes on, the training sessions have been strong and demanding.
“He has big ambitions, I’m happy to be here and I hope to respond to what he expects by helping our team achieve our goals.
“For me, it was an honour to be part of his career as a player, and now, as a coach, I feel even more honoured.
“I have always had this relationship of admiration and respect. I wish I had the opportunity to work with him again. He is a guy who is very open to all the players and has a lot of influence in the group.
