Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers was quick to praise new signing Philippe Coutinho after the Brazilian made a goalscoring full debut in the Reds’ 5-0 Premier League victory over Swansea on Sunday afternoon.
Coutinho, 20, had played just 12 minutes for the Reds before the encounter at Anfield, but impressed his manager with his tidy contribution.
With the former Inter Milan player replaced by Jordan Henderson on the hour-mark, Rodgers insisted that he would need time to adapt to the speed of the English game. However, he was gushing in his praise of the youngster.
“Coutinho is a really talented player,” Rodgers told his post-match press conference. “He’s only 20 but he’s had good experience of playing at the highest level.
“He’ll take a wee bit of time to adapt to the whole tempo of the English game. He’s come from Italy where the game is a little slower but he’s a wonderful technician.
“You saw the quality and the speed of his passing all game – he’s got wonderful game-knowledge. I’ve got high hopes for him.
“He’s the type of player that we are trying to bring in here – a technician who has a strong character and good mentality. I’m sure he’ll progress very well.”
Source: Liverpool FC
