Thursday, 24th July, 2014
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has hailed Philippe Coutinho’s performance in his side’s pre-season friendly game against Roma last night.
Despite the Reds losing the fixture 1-0, courtesy of a late Daniel Agger own goal, Coutinho was the standout performer for the Merseyside giants.
The Brazilian, who joined Liverpool from Inter Milan in January, 2013, showcased his trickery, close control and passing skills at Fenway Park.
And Rodgers branded Coutinho the “brain” of his team and went on to laud the 22-year-old’s technical and tactical astuteness.
"Coutinho is the brain in our team, the continuity player. He might not score many goals, but he's a wonderful reference for the team", the manager told his club's official site.
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"He is the one that gets the team ticking, gets the movement in front of the ball. He goes and gets on the ball. He's a fantastic talent for such a young player and he's still gaining his fitness.
"He makes the crowd get off their seat. For someone so small, he's very tough and robust. He's a wonderful technician that has a great idea, tactically, of the game."
Coutinho, who has a further four years left on his present deal with Liverpool, has thus far made 50 appearances in all competitions for the club, scoring eight goals and providing 15 assists.
The youngster has a solitary senior cap for Brazil to his name and has also represented the nation at various youth levels.
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