Wednesday, 20th August, 2014
Brazil legend Zico is not surprised at Philippe Coutinho’s call-up to the Brazil squad and feels that the midfielder improved at Liverpool over the course of last season.
Luiz Felipe Scolari ignored the Liverpool midfielder for his World Cup squad, but new Brazil coach Dunga decided to pick the 22-year-old for the Selecao’s friendlies against Colombia and Ecuador next month.
"Coutinho is a very skilled and tactical player", Zico told LFC TV.
The midfielder joined the Reds from Inter Milan in January last year and Zico feels that Coutinho has become a more confident player in England.
"He has already played in a number of countries, which must have been a good learning experience for him as he has achieved a higher level of confidence now at Liverpool.”
relatedNewsStory
The former Brazilian international feels that the renewed sense of confidence has affected the midfielder's game, and his consistency last season at Liverpool stood out.
"This confidence has probably come from the manager and his team-mates, and is something our players need when playing abroad.
"He's improved his performances as a result and you can see [last season] he was being more audacious in trying new moves and taking higher risks.”
Coutinho made 37 appearances for Liverpool last season, scoring five goals and providing eight assists.
Don't bet on football until you've visited Inside Bet! Interesting markets, top tips, betting facts – get all the info before you bet.
