Philippe Coutinho has explained how Aston Villa have helped him find “happiness again”, following his move from Barcelona.
Philippe Coutinho said: “This is a great league. For me it’s the best one. The games are so competitive and the atmospheres are fantastic. The other leagues are great but for me the Premier League is something different. I hoped I may come back but I was never sure. At Villa I feel happy. Everybody at the club has been so welcoming. We want to improve and we will. The ambition is to finish high and play in Europe. Our fans deserve that. We want to work hard for that next season. For a long time I was not very happy playing football but I have felt happiness again here. That’s why I decided to stay.”
The playmaker has spoken openly about the role Villa boss Gerrard played in helping to bring him to B6 . However, it appears that the opportunity to explore new pastures came at the right time for Coutinho, who was offered a fresh perspective after a knee injury in December 2021 kept him on the side-lines for nine months. When asked about his time at Barcelona,
Philippe Coutinho explained: “It was not the experience I expected, but life is like that. The only time I was worried was when I got a bad injury. I was out for nine months and had three surgeries. That time I was worried about going back to play again and things like that. But now everything is normal and I am very happy and I just want to stay here. I don’t regret anything. It’s all part of life’s ups and downs. It was my dream to play at Barcelona since I was a child. But now it’s in the past and I am looking forward to my future here. Also I learned a lot in that time. It was a very difficult time for me but it made me stronger in my head. From that point on it was important for me. I missed it a lot and now I feel more love for the game.”
