Coutinho unfazed by tough tackles

New Liverpool signing Philippe Coutinho insists he is not worried by the physicality of the Premier League.

New Liverpool signing Philippe Coutinho insists he is not worried by the physicality of the Premier League.

The attacking midfielder, a January acquisition from Inter Milan, feels he is resilient enough to bounce back from tough tackles.

“I’m quite calm about getting kicked,” he told the Daily Mirror. “I’ll get up, carry on playing and score a goal.

“I always knew the type of football here would be much harder but, with the help of the manager, staff and players, I’ll try to adapt as quickly as possible.

“Of course, playing here will be a challenge. I know everyone says it is the toughest league in the world and I’ve already noticed you have to think quicker and move quicker because the pace is that much higher than Italy or Brazil.

“I know I need to improve my muscles because they are quite small at the moment.”

The Brazilian admitted his frustration that he could not break through at the San Siro but said that, with a little help from Lucas Leiva, joining the Reds was an easy choice.

“Sometimes I was disappointed because every player wants to play. I always did my best for Inter but it didn’t work out,” he said. “I need to spend some time at a club and I need to enjoy my football to play my best.

“Lucas spoke to me. He explained the methods here. I knew Liverpool was a huge team so the decision was made quite quickly on this basis.

“Liverpool is known around the world for being a huge club for all the titles they have won; the one that comes to mind is in the Champions League final in 2005 when they turned the game around.

“Hopefully I will have a long and successful career at Liverpool. That is what I’m hoping for.”