Philippe Coutinho and Steven Gerrard have joined forces once again, this time at Aston Villa, writes DYLAN APPOLIS.

Brazilian playmaker Philippe Coutinho made a sensational return to the Premier League by joining Aston Villa on loan from Barcelona until the end of the season and, in turn, reuniting with former Liverpool teammate Steven Gerrard who is the Villains head coach.

The Premier League club have the option to buy the former Liverpool midfielder for £33-million at the end of the campaign if all parties are happy with how the arrangement turned out. Barcelona confirmed Villa will pay part of Coutinho’s wages on his return to the Premier League after four years.

He joined the Catalans from Liverpool in 2018 in a deal worth £146-million, but even though he helped Barca win La Liga in 2018 and 2019, he never found the form he displayed in the Premier League with the Reds. He spent 2019-20 on loan at Bayern Munich.

Coutinho is Gerrard’s first signing at Villa he joined from Rangers in November and the two know each other well after spending two-and-a-half years together as teammates at Liverpool.

‘He is an outstanding footballer who boasts a highly impressive CV laced with plenty of elite honours,’ Gerrard said. ‘I am really pleased that we have been able to bring him on board and I am looking forward to working with him.

‘He is a player I enjoyed playing with previously and I know the rest of the squad here at Aston Villa will benefit from his quality and experience. His presence will be invaluable, given that injuries and the Afcon tournament have reduced our attacking options.’

Coutinho has secured domestic trophies in four countries and, at the time of his signing, had earned 63 caps for the Brazil men’s national team and bagged 18 goals for his country.

‘I can understand why a lot of supporters up and down the country are speaking about him,’ added Garrard. “I don’t think you get the nickname “Magician” if you’re not a special footballer. He’s someone I’ve got an incredible amount of respect for.

‘He won two league titles for Barcelona, he won two Copas del Rey. If you go and have a look at his Wiki page, you’ll see a serial winner wherever he’s been. I’ve got nothing but positive things to say about the player. He’s a friend of mine.’

Having been frustrated by the lack of first-team opportunities at the Camp Nou, Coutinho hit the ground running at Villa by setting up a Jacob Ramsey’s goal and scoring the equalising goal against Manchester United on his dream debut, which also subsequently earned him a call-up to the Brazil squad for their Fifa World Cup qualifiers.

‘It’s a pleasure to be here; it’s a great club. I spoke a lot with Stevie, and he told me about the club and his ambitions. I’m very happy to be here and I’m looking to enjoy my football, Coutinho said.

‘I’ve known Stevie for a long time. I played with him and I learned a lot from him. He’s someone who I have big admiration for. I hope to do my best here. For sure, I will work hard, and I hope together we can do good work.

‘I’m looking forward to meeting the fans, to being on the pitch. I know and I feel that they’re happy that I’m here. I want to repay that on the pitch and enjoy my football. I’m looking forward to being on the pitch.

‘I always want to be at my best, doing my work. That’s what I work hard for every day. I hope it will be a great rest of the season here.”

Much will be expected of Coutinho from the club and its supporters as he looks to rediscover the same form he showed at Liverpool.

Fast Facts:
Full Name: Philippe Coutinho Correia
Date of Birth: 12 June 1992
Place of Birth: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Height: 1.72m
Position: Playmaker