Barcelona

Philippe Coutinho 'honoured' to represent Barcelona

By Daniel Lewis, Senior Reporter | 07 February 2018

Barcelona playmaker Philippe Coutinho admits that he feels 'honoured and privileged' to share the same dressing room as some of football's biggest names at Camp Nou.

Philippe Coutinho has admitted that it is "an incredible feeling" sharing a dressing room with the likes of Andres Iniesta, Lionel Messi and Luiz Suarez following his January move from Liverpool.

The Brazil international got his wish by seeing a £142m transfer go through early in the winter window and has since featured four times for his new club.

Coutinho says that he still cannot believe he is linking up with some of world football's biggest names at Camp Nou, particularly Spanish footballing legend Iniesta, whom he has been tipped to eventually succeed as Barca's key creator from deep.

"It's an incredible feeling when you look across the dressing room and see Andres, Leo, Luis [Suarez], Sergio Busquets, and everyone else," he told Sky Sports News. "They are players I used to watch on TV or play with on PlayStation and now I am sharing the same dressing room, it's incredible for me.

"Andres is a genius and it's an honour to share the same dressing room. I hope to learn a lot from him. Of course there is only one Iniesta. I have come here to try to create history of my own and learn from these great players. Like everyone else I thought Messi was the best player in the world and to be here with him now is a fantastic honour.

"It's a great experience watching him in training and in matches - the way he can transform a match is unbelievable. He is really laid back as a person. Like everyone else he gave me a great welcome. This was a shock because you see he is a real person. I have known Luis for a while, we played together in England and were always together there.

"I talked to him a lot before I came and he has helped me settle down here. He is an incredible player. He is always scoring, pressuring the opposition, fighting for the ball, he is a real star."

Coutinho has yet to register a goal or assist in his time on the field for Barcelona.