Philippe Coutinho may have become a household name during his five years with Liverpool, but he first tasted European football during his career beginnings with Inter.

The Nerazzurri purchased the Brazilian forward for €4m back in July 2008, when he was just 16 years old. He stayed with his childhood side Vasco da Gama for a further two years on loan, impressing as a first team regular before finally flying over to Milan in 2010.

Coutinho’s debut came in a UEFA Super Cup match against Atletico Madrid, and his first start came in the team’s second Champions League group match against Werder Bremen. He provided an assist in a thrilling 4-3 win over Spurs later in the competition, which showed his exciting potential.

Following that game, the Brazilian teenager started the following five league matches, where he also contributed to a goal against Sampdoria. Unfortunately for him, a serious knee injury forced him to miss the following eight Serie A matches, and he would fail to break back into the first team for the remainder of the season.

The 2011/12 season started in much the same way as the previous had ended, with Coutinho only making five league appearances in the first half of the season, struggling with a knock and lower back pain. He was loaned out to Mauricio Pochettino’s Espanyol in the January transfer window, where he found much more success; five goals and one assist in 16 La Liga appearances.

Unfortunately for the Brazilian, this strong form did not carry over upon on his return to Milan. He only made 10 Serie A appearances in the first half of the season, with only three of those being starts. He only played the full 90 minutes once for Inter that season, in a 1-0 win over Palermo.

As the January transfer window rolled around again, Inter decided to pull the trigger and sell Coutinho permanently, agreeing a €13m deal with Liverpool at the end of that month.

He would go on to become one of the best Premier League players in the resulting five-year stay in North West England, and now he’ll be back in the British Isles, wearing an Aston Villa shirt this time under former teammate Steven Gerrard.

One thought on “Looking back at Coutinho’s time with Inter”
  1. “One of the best Premier League players in the resulting five-year stay”?
    Come on, he’s flashy and everything and once in a while scores a belter.
    But that’s his job would Roy say. Overrated.

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