Philippe Coutinho has told ESPN that he feels ‘even more honoured’ to play under Steven Gerrard than when he played beside the ‘demanding’ Aston Villa manager for Liverpool.
The Villans reunited Coutinho and Gerrard in the recent January transfer window by signing the Brazilian on loan from Barcelona. Their agreement for the 29-year-old also includes a £33m option to make the move permanent this summer, per Sky Sports.
Coutinho has swiftly secured a key role in the Villa Park midfield with four starts from five Premier League appearances. He has featured in each fixture available to him so far, while offering two goals and two assists over 354-minutes.
Coutinho’s goal involvements have helped Aston Villa draw at home to Manchester United and Leeds United. He is yet to win at Villa Park, though, having so far only beaten Everton on the road. Gerrard will hope to oversee another away win on Saturday against Brighton.
Coutinho ‘honoured’ to play under Gerrard at Aston Villa
Coutinho left Barcelona to reunite with Gerrard at Aston Villa having struggled for action in Spain. He had only amassed 505-minutes over 12 La Liga appearances, starting just five.
The midfielder developed a great respect for Gerrard while together at Liverpool but is now gaining a new appreciation. He also believes the Villans boss has already established his command in the dressing room after only replacing Dean Smith at the helm in November.
“I always admired him a lot,” Coutinho said. “For me, it was an honour to have played with him. Now having him as a coach, with the experience he has, training has 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 to 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 that opportunity to work with him again. He’s a guy who’s very open to all players and has a lot of influence in the group. I think everyone likes to be treated well, to be in a place where they feel appreciated.”
Gerrard will be desperate for Coutinho to help Aston Villa beat Brighton on Saturday, if he features at the Amex. The Villans have lost their last two Premier League matches and are without a win in three. Their win at Everton is also Villa’s only win in their last seven games.
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