Gerrard: Coutinho so good I told him not to embarrass me

Ross Gibson

Philippe Coutinho was so good in training that former-Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard told him to ‘stay away’ during sessions.

Coutinho made an impressive return to Premier League action on Saturday, scoring and assisting one in the Reds 3-2 victory over Leicester City.

It had been expected that the Brazillian playmaker would leave Anfield for Barcelona during the summer, but a move failed to materialise, to the delight of Liverpool fans.

Gerrard, who is now a pundit for BT Sport, said: “He’s impossible to defend against; when I used to train with him I’d hate it when I was on the opposition five-a-side team.

“I wouldn’t go near him and sometimes i told him to keep away from me because he can embarrass you. If he stands you up he can go both ways.

“He’s got such a low centre of gravity, he’s so sharp, so quick and he’s two or three steps ahead of defenders, he’s so, so clever.”

Coutinho was the scorer of Liverpool’s second goal against the Foxes, before they survived a late fightback – including a missed penalty – to secure a huge three points.