Philippe Coutinho opened up about his tumultuous stint at Barcelona following his £142million transfer from Liverpool.

However, he quickly discovered that filling the boots of the iconic Andres Iniesta, or slotting into the front three, was a herculean task rife with complexities.

Reflecting on the wavering arc of his trajectory in Spain, Coutinho admitted: "The beginning was really good.



His journey took a downturn with a serious knee injury and a lacklustre stint at Aston Villa under Steven Gerrard, leading him back to Brazil with Vasco da Gama.

Philippe Coutinho gives brutally honest take on career after Liverpool - 'I just wasn't able to'	Philippe Coutinho gives honest verdict on career after Liverpool - 'I just wasn't able'	Philippe Coutinho opens up on life after Liverpool and why he couldn’t say no to Barcelona

Reflecting on his tumultuous time, Coutinho admitted: "I needed to change teams, right?

I wasn't in Barcelona's plans anymore."

Acknowledging Gerrard's influence on his move to Villa, he added: "Well, it was mainly because of [Steven] Gerrard [that I joined Aston Villa].

But I don't have any regrets, only thanks and gratitude for every club I've been at."

Despite a year remaining on his Aston Villa contract after his loan spell at Vasco Da Gama concludes this summer, Coutinho's future looks uncertain in the West Midlands.

Even at 32, Coutinho is not eyeing retirement and aims to increase his role within his charitable organisation 'Instituto Philippe Coutinho'.

During an emotional segment on Premier League Stories, he recounted his battle with adversity, particularly his injury phase: "When you are in that moment, especially when I had my injury, you end up disbelieving certain things, you have doubts.

"I haven't really thought about what it will be like after I retire.

I see myself here (at Instituto Philippe Coutinho), maybe working here with the children, alongside my brothers."