Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard has admitted he is impressed by January signing Philippe Coutinho and thinks that the Brazilian can add a creative spark and some flare that the Reds have lacked.
The 20-year-old signed form Inter Milan in January for a fee of £8.5 million and he has made a big impact since his switch to Merseyside.
Despite not yet completing a full 90 minutes of football for Liverpool, Coutinho already has a goal and two assists to his name and Gerrard admits he is impressed by the former Inter Milan man, and expects him to improve once he is fully fit.
“He’s got moments of magical brilliance,” Gerrard said.
“I think you’ll see the best of him next season when he gets a full pre-season under his belt and gets used to the speed of the game.
“What he has shown for 55 or 60 minutes is that he’s a top player and he belongs in a Liverpool shirt.
“If we can get that for 90 minutes from him next season then he’s going to be a great asset for us.”
Team-mate Jose Enrique is also confident that Coutinho will emerge as a key player for Liverpool over the next few years.
“The numbers speak for themselves: in four games he has two assists and one goal so I hope he will continue like this scoring goals and making assists,” said the left-back.
“He is the type of a player, as a big team, you have to have.
“He can create from nothing in a one versus one. He is playing really well right now and he is the type of player we need.
“Defenders are important but you need people who can score goals and we have now.”
