Aston Villa coach Steven Gerrard has confirmed that his Brazilian star Philippe Coutinho was not happy in Barcelona and expressed confidence that he would return to his best levels.
In January, Coutinho arrived at Aston Villa on loan, before moving permanently in the summer to the English team for 20 million euros.
After a fairly good six months at Villa Park, the Brazilian has not performed as well as hoped this season, not scoring or assisting in the six games he has played this season.
“We decided to sign Coutinho, it could be seen that he was not happy in Barcelona,” said Gerrard, whose team is 15th in the Premier League.
“With his age and talent, I have complete confidence in him. The numbers say he is not at his best, but we will give him all the support.”
And he added, “He works and tries like a team, maybe he just needs some luck, but he has not lost his talent or his style. When things came he did very well. His talent is still present and my opinion of him will not change.”
