Micah Richards has suggested Philippe Coutinho was 'the best player in the league' during his final season at Liverpool in 2017/18.
The Brazilian playmaker left the Reds for Barcelona in January 2018 in a deal worth £142million, having previously handed in a transfer request in the summer of 2017 as he attempted to force through a move.
Coutinho failed to hit the heights many expected him to reach at Camp Nou, which led to the 29-year-old being left out of starting line-ups and later loaned out to Bayern Munich.
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His best football in a Liverpool shirt came just before his departure, having provided 20 goal contributions in 19 appearances in all competitions. Now back in the Premier League at Aston Villa, the talented midfielder is once again showing his ability in the English top-flight.
Paying tribute to the class of Coutinho on the BBC Match of the Day Top 10 Podcast, Alan Shearer and Richards both ranked the Barcelona loanee in their top ten list of number 10s to grace the Premier League. Gary Lineker was also in agreement with praise for the ex-Reds star, as he shared his thoughts on why his big-money move to La Liga has not gone to plan.
“Coutinho, he’s a breathtakingly talented footballer. He didn’t quite do it at Barcelona though did he? We saw him at Liverpool, bending them into the top corner,” said Lineker.
"Sometimes when players go to a monster of a football club, it can be a little bit too much for you. People think there is a lot of pressure on players in clubs in this country. I got off to a good start [at Barcelona] and quite enjoyed that side of things. The best part of my game was my mental strength. To understand what it is like there, it is so much bigger than anything here."
Providing his take on the subject, Richards added: “I’m surprised it didn’t work out for him though, I thought it would have been perfect for him. When he left [Liverpool], he was the best player in the league wasn’t he?”
