Philippe Coutinho

Mercedes G-Wagon


Meet my lil' friend: The Brazilian might have been slapped with the moniker of the Little Magician because of his diminutive size on the pitch but off it he has certainly made sure that history doesn't repeat itself!

Born in Rio de Janeiro, growing up between an old shanty town and industrial warehouses, his first foray into football was through futsal. The diminutive footballer thrived within the restricted spaces which in-turn heightened his skills and ability to improvise. Coaches from Vasco da Gama scouted him at a youth tournament, where upon he joined their youth system after a successful trial. The Brazilian flourished in Vasco da Gama's youth program and was called up to the Brazil under-15 football team. In July 2008, at age 16, he was signed by Italian giants Internazionale for €4 million. After serving a couple of more years with Vasco da Gama on loan, during which he helped the club win the Série B title and secure promotion, he moved to Italy in 2010, once he turned 18. During his three year stay in Italy, he made 47 appearances for the Nerazurri, winning the Coppa Italia (2010/11) and Supercoppa Italiana (2010). However, he was always a fringe player, struggling to break into the first team despite his considerable talents. On 30 January 2013, he moved to England to sign for Liverpool for a fee of £8.5 million. It is wearing the famous No.10 shirt of Liverpool, that the Brazilian would fulfill his potential and establish himself as one of the best football players in the world. In over 200 appearances for The Reds, the midfielder scored 54 goals and registered 45 assists. He was crowned Liverpool Player's Player of the Season (2014/15, 2015/16) and Liverpool Fan's Player of the Season (2014/15, 2015/16) for two years in a row. On 6 January 2018, his hard-work and talent would culminate in a move to FC Barcelona for a mammoth £142 million. He made his debut a fortnight later in a 2-0 win against Espanyol in the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey. His first goal for the club came in the semi-finals of the same competition on 8 February 2018 against Valencia. On 28 October 2018, The Little Magician scored his first El Clásico goal in a 5-1 win over At Barça he added La Liga (2017/18, 2018/19), Copa del Rey (2017/18), and Supercopa de España (2018) to his glittering trophy cabinet. Unfortunately he was a fringe player at the Nou Camp and was loaned out to Bayern Munich in the summer of 2019. Despite featuring more prominently for The Bavarians, the story was a similar one to Barça, where it always felt like Coutinho was a bit part player. Bayern won the treble of Bundesliga, DFB Pokal, and UEFA Champions League, with the Brazilian as little more than a bystander. Two more disappointing seasons at parent club Barcelona ended with a move back to England as Philippe signed for mid table club Aston Villa in January 2022. Reuniting with Liverpool teammate Steven Gerrard, now Villa's manager, there were glimpses of the Brazilian's past brilliance. The question going forward is will we see The Magician get back to his best for The Villains in 2022?