Coutinho: ´Suarez is phenomenal´

Liverpool playmaker Philippe Coutinho says team-mate Luis Suarez is a ‘phenomenal’ and ‘otherworldly’ player.

The 20-year-old made his 10-million euro move to Anfield in January with the hope of providing some much-needed support to an often isolated Suarez, who is a player he admires for the way he ‘gives himself to the team’.

“Suarez is phenomenal – he is otherworldly,” Coutinho told the club’s website.

“The goals he scores, the way he gives himself to the team … It is very important and I am very happy to be able to play next to him.

“I think it’s the way he gives himself to the team. He fights all the time and chases all the time. He doesn’t let one ball go – even if it’s the hardest one.

“He fights all the time to win and I admire that in a player. I think it is one of his strong points.

“I’m not only happy to play next to him, but also other players like Steven (Gerrard), who is phenomenal, too. These are guys from another world.”

Coutinho has impressed since arriving at Anfield, with a goal on his debut against Swansea and a good performance against Tottenham in their 3-2 win, but says he has found it difficult to adapt to the physicality and pace of the English Premier League.

“It is very different here. In Brazil the game is very open, the defenders are not as tight with the attacker. I think this is the hardest thing here,” he said.

“Also, the game is very quick, but I feel I can improve these things during training and improve my intensity.

“I have been doing some body building, too, so I can get more used to the physicality.

“English football is very quick, it has great intensity, and I think this is the big difference (to other leagues).

“In Brazil, football is slower, the tactics are a bit more open and the pitch even seems to be bigger – even though it is obviously the same size – due to the game being so open.

“In Italy, it is a little bit diff
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erent than it is in Brazil, but here in England it is very quick. I played in Italy and in Spain but the intensity of the game here is very strong. I just have to improve to be able to play at the highest level here.

“I will always give my best and then try to score and create good moves to help the team win.”