Philippe Coutinho: Journey of the "Little Magician" so far

Every Brazilian dream is to play in top-flight football leagues, and Philippe Coutinho was one of them, who dreamt of playing for some elite clubs of Europe when he was a little kid. 

In this article we look at the footballing journey of the "little magician" along with his career stats, playing style and profile.

Philippe Coutinho: Club career and transformation 

Born on 12th June 1992 in Brazil’s famous city Rio de Janeiro, it all started with street football, where Coutinho used to play with his brothers. However, he was a different player among his brothers who thrived in this sport, which saw him joining a local academy in Brazil, Vasco da Gama. 

And that’s how the diminutive midfielder begins his professional career. He adapted quickly, and as his prominence grew, many top European clubs started keeping tabs on him. 

Inter Milan were the one who landed Coutinho at San Siro; at just 18, the midfielder tried to stamp his authority but couldn’t match the pace and was loaned out to Espanyol, where he registered 5 goals in 16 outings. 

As his loan expired, and he returned to Inter, but once again, he failed to make an impact and was sold to Liverpool in an £8.5 million. 

At Anfield, he finally found his breakthrough, inheriting the number 10 jersey, and became their most prominent player, most of the time, he played as an attacking midfielder or winger. He started heaping praises from pundits and fans for his role with accurate passing, dribbling skills, and creative play, as a midfielder.   

Despite signing a 5-year contract with Liverpool in 2017, Coutinho left the club and joined Spanish giants Barcelona in a £105 million fee. 

However, the move turned out to be a disaster for the Brazilian, as he became a flop for the Catalans and was loaned to Bayern Munich.

There he was rarely used because of other first-choice players who already occupied his position. However, the move to Bayern turned bitter-sweet as he won his dream trophy Champions League. 

The Bavarians had an option to buy the Brazilian but declined it and sent him back to Barcelona, where he struggled once again. Due to his high wages, Barcelona failed to meet his demand and loaned him to Aston Villa. 

The former Liverpool player has now joined the Villa for the remainder of the season, reuniting with Liverpool teammate Steven Gerrard. On 15th January, he came as a substitute against Manchester United and registered a goal and an assist in a 2-2 draw.

International career 

Having made his international debut on 7th October 2010, Coutinho’s only achievement with Brazil was when he won the 2019 Copa America.

Although, he missed most of the major tournaments due to injuries or bad form. But the 29-year-old might get a call for the 2022 FIFA World Cup if he redeems his form at Aston Villa. 

Philippe Coutinho: Overall club and international stats 

Great vision with quick thinking and excellent dribbling skills

Philippe Coutinho spent most of his professional career playing as an attacking midfielder, second striker, and central midfielder. He was named an archetypal Brazilian number 10, who possessed everything a typical football could dream of. 

After Messi and Ronaldinho, Philippe Coutinho was regarded third-best dribbler with his pace and agility. Like Messi, he had special magic in his feet, who could assist from anywhere on the pitch. And at Liverpool, he was the one who would pull all the strings with his creativity.

The 29-year-old was a versatile attacking midfielder in Premier League alongside Manchester City Kevin De Bruyne. 

During his days at Liverpool, the Brazilian heaped praises and was named the “Little Magician” by Liverpool fans because of his elite vision and passing ability. 

He had everything in him; as a right-footed player, Philippe Coutinho would use both his feet and score jaw-dropping curling shoots from outside the box after cutting inside from the left-flank and slotting the ball into the top corner of the goal which later became a trademark for the Brazilian.

Philippe Coutinho: Awards and Achievements  

- FIFA World Cup top assist provider: 2018

- Bundesliga Goal of the Month: December 2019

- PFA Fans’ Player of the Month: February 2015

- Liverpool Goal of the Season: 2014–15, 2015–16