"He’s an amazing player, and a great guy" - Rodgers backs Coutinho to succeed at Villa, admits 'surprise' over his struggles at Barcelona

Philippe Coutinho has completed a loan switch to Aston Villa this winter after failing to make an impact at Barcelona. Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers, who worked with the Brazilian during their time at Liverpool, has backed him to succeed at Villa Park.

The tactician has expressed surprise over Philippe Coutinho's failure to cut it at Barca. Brendan Rodgers suspects the environment at Camp Nou contributed to the Brazilian's struggles.

"I have to say I’m quite surprised it hasn’t worked out for him at Barcelona, because I thought if ever there was a player and a club that were aligned, it was probably those two," the Leicester City manager said.

"Sometimes, if the environment isn’t right for whatever reason… for Philippe it’s all about the environment.

"If he feels that love, and he feels that responsibility, then he’ll thrive."

Philippe Coutinho has linked up with another ex-Liverpool colleague in Steven Gerrard at Aston Villa. The Englishman was appointed manager at Villa Park in November last year and played a major role in convincing the Brazilian to choose the Premier League outfit.

Brendan Rodgers believes the playmaker will do well under his former team-mate. According to him, Coutinho only needs to start playing regularly to return to the level that earned him recognition in the Premier League during his Liverpool days.

He said:

"I’m sure he’ll do really well for Steven, he just needs to get back playing regularly. He’s shown in the Premier League he’s a top player, and he’ll look to return to that level.

"He’s an amazing player and a great guy," the tactician added.

The Brazilian has returned to the Premier League after a disappointing Barcelona spell

Philippe Coutinho's will be hoping to put his Barcelona spell behind and perform well for Aston Villa

Coutinho joined Barcelona from Liverpool in January 2018 for a hefty €160 million. Despite a promising start, the Brazilian failed to reach his top level at Camp Nou and gradually lost his place in the team.

He made 106 appearances for the Catalan giants across his four-year spell, recording 25 goals and 14 assists to his name across all competitions. His current loan deal with Aston Villa runs until the end of the season, with an option to make it permanent for €40 million.