Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has compared Philippe Coutinho to that of Real Madrid pair Luka Modric and Toni Kroos.
The former Espanyol and Inter Milan playmaker has been in good form for Liverpool since arriving at the club in January 2013 and he is expected to commit his future to the club in the coming days with a contract extension to 2020 planned.
And his boss Rodgers believes that the 22-year-old has all the making to achieve the same success as Modric and Kroos, who are now playing for the reigning World and European champions.
“If you look at that type of player he is, you look at Modric,” he told reporters.
“He doesn’t have a big goalscoring record, but he is a world-class player, a continuity player. He can make passes and put the ball in behind and he gets the odd goal from outside the box.
“He is a top-class player who can create the game who is so important in opening up doors for the team.
“Toni Kroos is another of that type; a wonderful footballer and great passer.
“They maybe don’t get as many goals for what their technique is, but their role is to sit behind the ball and create goals for others.
“Their role is not to score 20 a season. Phil’s numbers will improve, but it is not the be all and end all if he doesn’t get 20 a season.”
Despite good form, Coutinho has been short on goals this season, scoring just twice but Rodgers added that his continued improvement will see that part of his game follow suit.
“He has a wonderful strike on him, so it will be about arriving into areas where he can make movements without the ball.
“There are areas to improve in the accuracy on his shooting; he has a wonderful move to work the space but at times you see him dragging the shot.
“At the minute I don’t have too many complaints about him as he’s pressing the game really well, he is being aggressive in hunting the ball and his two assists at the weekend were sublime.
“Hopefully in years to come the goals will come more readily for him.”