Dubai: Philippe Coutinho was born to play for Barcelona and will be a huge success there as a long-term replacement to Andres Iniesta, according to the Brazilian midfielder’s former Liverpool coach Brendan Rodgers.
Rodgers brought Coutinho to Anfield from Inter Milan for £8.5 million (Dh42 million) in 2013 and the player has this week moved to the Nou Camp for a deal that could rise from £106 million to £142 million if various clauses are met.
Speaking in Dubai on the side lines of a winter training camp with his current club Celtic, Rodgers heaped praise on the 25-year-old, whose transfer becomes the second most expensive of all time behind Neymar’s £200 million move last summer from Barcelona to Paris Saint Germain.
“I’m not surprised, he was born to play for a club like Barcelona,” said Rodgers of Coutinho’s transfer.
“He’ll be a huge success. I think he’s the one player that can go in and be genuinely like Iniesta. If there’s one player likened to Iniesta’s game in the world it’s Phil.
“He’s different to Neymar, he’s more the Iniesta type and at 33-years-old Iniesta’s game time will become limited there and Phil’s a natural successor.
“I just think every part of him as a football player and a human being is suited to Barcelona.
“His technical ability is incredible, tactical concepts he understands because he’s played in different positions and physically he has speed and strength; mentally, he’s very stable emotionally and he’ll carry the values of Barcelona because he’s such a good person. He doesn’t waste his time doing stupid things, he’s a good guy and he’s perfectly suited to there.
“Obviously it’s sad for Liverpool but they’ve made a huge investment in the player and got a huge return. Now he gets the chance to play with his mate Mr. Suarez,” Rodgers added of another former Liverpool player he used to coach who is now at Barcelona, Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez.
Rodgers inherited Suarez from the Kenny Dalglish era (where he was bought for £22.8 million in 2011) and then sold him to Barca for £75 million in 2014.
“They got on really well and were close while at Liverpool and now he’s there at Barca with some of the best players in the world,” he added of Coutinho. “It’s a great move for him and Liverpool have made a huge profit on a young player and like I say, I couldn’t speak highly enough of Phil because as a person he’s incredible.”
Rodgers was sacked by Liverpool in 2015 and replaced by former Dortmund boss Jurgen Klopp in part for his poor use of the income made from the Suarez sale in the transfer market. But Rodgers said profits made from players he developed like Coutinho, continue to improve the way he is remembered as coach on Merseyside.
“When I retire, people will talk about trophies, but my satisfaction comes from seeing players like Raheem Sterling; putting him in the team then seeing him move for £49 million to Manchester City, bringing Luis in, when he came people said he doesn’t score or take enough chances, then in two seasons he gets his goals and his move. That’s where I get my pride, from seeing players develop and learn.
“Whenever you lose your job and get rejected from a club it’s normally in the main because it hasn’t finished as well. But in the course of my time there I think football people will see we were the closest we have ever been (recently) to winning the title. Within the space of about two years we went from eighth to nearly winning it.
“Every supporter I speak to talks about that 2013/14 season and the level of football we played and the development of players within that squad and how they improved. And that stands. The joy we brought supporters will always be there. It was a wonderful three and a bit years I had there and, of course, we wanted to win the league, but I think we put things in place that allowed the club to continue. There are lots of players there that me and the staff brought in and developed, and the club made quite a nice bit of money on them.”
Celtic are staying at Le Royal Meridien in JBR and training at Al Wasl Club every morning from 10am. There’s an open session for fans to come along and watch on Friday before the club fly home on Sunday.
