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Philippe Coutinho still remembers the first time he met Steven Gerrard at Liverpool's training ground in the January of 2013.
'I remember I was very nervous when I saw him,' Coutinho told Sportsmail. 'He was an idol for me and everyone. I was very young but he was so humble and everything he did was so simple.
'I used to watch him train and how he reacted in games and did things. For me it was a big thrill to play with him.'
Philippe Coutinho has made his move to Aston Villa permanent after initially joining on loan
Almost ten years on and the relationship between the Brazilian playmaker and his former Liverpool captain endures 100 miles south at Aston Villa.
It was Gerrard who brought the 29-year-old back to the Premier League in January after difficult years at Barcelona and Bayern Munich. Initially on loan, Coutinho is now a Villa player for good after signing a four-year contract.
'I call him boss now but he was always the boss,' laughed Coutinho. 'When I played with him he was captain and leader. He was the club. Now as a manager he is great.
'He is strong when he needs to be but he is open to speak to as well if you need to. Everybody here respects and looks up to him.
'I came here to the club probably because he called me. We spoke about many things and he was the first contact from the club. I came here because of him.
'I was at home when he called and we did a Zoom and spoke about a lot of things.
'It didn't take long to decide because I wanted to play and this was a big opportunity. Now I am very happy that I have signed.'
Coutinho played with Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard for two and a half years at Liverpool
Coutinho has always been an intelligent, clever and versatile footballer. When he left Liverpool for Barcelona in 2018 the Merseyside club and their supporters were devastated.
For Coutinho himself the intervening years were not all he had hoped. He struggled to find his best form and was also side lined with a knee injury for nine months. There were, he admits, times when he feared he would never get back to his best.
'It was not the experience I expected but life is like that,' he explained. 'The only time I was worried was when I got a bad injury. I was out for nine months and had three surgeries.
'That time I was worried about going back to play again and things like that. But now everything is normal and I am very happy and I just want to stay here.
The Brazilian quickly agreed to join Villa in January after speaking with Gerrard over Zoom
'I don't regret anything. It's all part of life's ups and downs. It was my dream to play at Barcelona since I was a child. But now it's in the past and I am looking forward to my future here.
'Also I learned a lot in that time. It was a very difficult time for me but it made me stronger in my head. From that point on it was important for me. I missed it a lot and now I feel more love for the game.'
Coutinho has taken to life in Birmingham where his
