Former Liverpool player Philippe Coutinho has insisted he doesn’t “regret anything” about his £142 million transfer to Barcelona.
Coutinho doesn’t even register on the mind of most Liverpool supporters these days, but it is easy to forget the fear that was around when he left the club.
Thankfully, that was quickly allayed as Virgil van Dijk, Alisson and co. took the Reds to a new level.
Despite his 2018 dream move to Lionel Messi’s Barcelona coming off, things went downhill fairly rapidly for the Brazilian, as he struggled to hit the heights that had made him such a wanted transfer target.
At 31-years-old, younger than Wataru Endo who has just bossed a League Cup final, he is on loan from Aston Villa at Qatari club Al-Duhail.
Speaking to Catalan newspaper Sport, though, he insisted that “at no time” has he had any regrets.
He went on: “Things did not turn out as I imagined, as people expected, as I expected, because I am the first to demand of myself on the pitch.
“I tried everything, I have always been very professional and I don’t regret anything. It was always my dream to play for Barca.”
When asked if he would change anything about his time in Catalunya, he replied: “Nothing. I would not change anything. Going back is impossible, but as I said I don’t regret anything.
“I always gave my all in training as I do here and as I did last year and as I will do next year. If things fit well, great and if not, patience.”
Coutinho played 106 times for Barcelona, with loan spells at Bayern Munich and Aston Villa breaking up his time with the Blaugrana.
Those 106 appearances included both legs of the Champions League semi-final, which Barcelona famously lost 4-3 on aggregate to Liverpool.
Along with Luis Suarez, who had trodden the same path but with much more success, he wasn’t welcomed back to Anfield on the night Liverpool won 4-0.
Later in the interview, he said: “I am satisfied with my career. Many people think whether it is good or bad, but I am satisfied with myself, I know what I represent, what I can do.
“I know who I am and this is the most important thing for me.”
We could yet see Coutinho back in the Premier League, as his loan in Qatar finishes this summer. His contract at Aston Villa runs until 2026.
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