Henderson Says Coutinho Can Become An Elite Player

We’ve all enjoyed it. We’ve all enjoyed the magic and the swagger. And those quick, little bips. You know, the bips when he’s kind of in a pickle and then -bip- he bips and he’s off? Philippe Coutinho has been a mainstay in this Liverpool team for gosh darn ever and has been a big part of the club’s success. But we know there’s something more. Club captain, and Sonny Badger, bare-knuckle boxing champion by night, Jordan Henderson believes Coutinho could soon snap crackle and pop himself into every mind-numbing conversation battle over which players play the game really good or more than really good.

“Messi, Ronaldo and Suarez, they are seen as the elite players in world football,” Henderson said, just before Neymar’s entourage went into a classified defcon level.

“Philippe has certainly got the talent, the work ethic and the hunger to get into that bracket. He’s a fantastic player for us. I’ve seen him develop as a player during his time at Liverpool and he’s still only 24.”

Coutinho will be amazing for us this season. I’ve started saying that to myself. That’s just a free tidbit.

The Brazilian playmaker came up with an outstanding goal on Sunday against Arsenal. 1-1. And then it was halftime and then, with the game back to even and after a sweet pep talk from the boss, we were ready. Scoring that free kick was a big moment. And, certainly, any conversation battle worth a sniff demands that players regularly produce big moment things during big moments. I’m not calling that goal the first step onto the yellow brick road or anything. But Phillippe Coutinho could be one great season away from taking one or two steps up towards that fabled, elite player tattoo lounge.

“If he continues to work as hard as he does,” Henderson says of Coutinho, “and continues to develop like he has done then I’m sure he will be in that bracket before long. He’s still very young.”

Philippe Coutinho will be a mainstay in the Liverpool team again this season if he stays fit. And the league is bigger and badder, it seems, every new season. More world-class athletes. More world-class managers. But Coutinho is now surrounded with attacking talent. Those other one-two passing freaks. And he has a world-class manager that can possibly coach him that last little bit of the way.

Hopefully, it won’t be long before people do regard him alongside the Messis of this world. We have to try to keep him fit and keep him playing like that because he was brilliant against Arsenal.”