Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard believes new signing Philippe Coutinho will become a major star at Anfield.
The Brazilian winger was signed for £8.5m from Inter Milan in January, a time when Saints were also interested in him.
Coutinho, 20, had played under Mauricio Pochettino last season at Espanyol, during a loan spell at the Spanish club.
He returned to Italy last summer, but was allowed to leave during the most recent transfer window.
The talented midfielder has already shown glimpses of his promise, and has started Liverpool’s last three Premier League games, all of which have ended in victory.
“He’s got moments of magical brilliance,” said Gerrard. “I think you’ll see the best of him next season when he gets a full pre-season under his belt and gets used to the speed of the game.
“What he has shown for 55 or 60 minutes is that he’s a top player and he belongs in a Liverpool shirt. If we can get that for 90 minutes from him next season then he’s going to be a great asset for us.”
Teammate José Enrique is another similarly impressed by Coutinho’s start to his Anfield career.
“The numbers speak for themselves,” he said. “In four games he has two assists and one goal, so I hope he will continue like this, scoring goals and making assists.
“He is the type of a player, as a big team, you have to have.
“He can create from nothing in a one versus one. He is playing really well right now and he is the type of player we need.
“Defenders are important but you need people who can score goals and we have now.”
