JORDAN HENDERSON has insisted that Philippe Coutinho would be welcome back at Liverpool but admitted his former teammates time at Anfield has passed.
The Brazilian left the Reds for Barcelona in 2018 for £145million but has struggled to replicate the form he showed in the Premier League.
Jordan Henderson remains good friends with Philippe Coutinho and would welcome him back at LiverpoolCredit: AFP or licensors
The 27-year-old is currently on loan at Bayern Munich but his future remains uncertain with the Bundesliga champions unlikely to turn the deal into a permanent one this summer.
Amid reports the playmaker has agreed to part ways with Barca regardless at the end of the season, Coutinho has been linked with an emotional return to Liverpool.
While Henderson would welcome the former Inter Milan starlet back with open arms, the Reds skipper believes the Brazilian’s time at the club has been and gone.
He told Spanish news outlet SPORT: “Phil is a good friend of mine.
“I think he’s an exceptional footballer, he has it all, he has a great attitude and he loves football.
The guys adore him, so if you ask any of them, I am sure they would say they would love to have him back. But I think his time here has passed
Jordan Henderson on Philippe Coutinho
“So, of course, for me, he would be welcome back, but it doesn’t depend on me. It’s probably best to ask the manager that.
“The guys adore him, so if you ask any of them, I am sure they would say they would love to have him back.
“But I think his time here has passed, he’s moved and I hope that in the near future we see the same Phil that we saw here.”
Although Coutinho was Liverpool’s star man at the time of his exit, his eye-watering £145m fee allowed the club to fund big-money sprees for Virgil van Dijk and Alisson.
In the two years since his Merseyside departure, Jurgen Klopp has taken his side to two successive Champions League finals, winning one, and are weeks away from an inaugural Premier League crown.
And Henderson admitted that he thought Coutinho’s transfer would cost the Reds but now believes Liverpool have grown stronger.
He added: “I thought that it was going to be a big loss for us, it would be for any team.
“But I felt it was a moment to take a step forward. The guys lifted their performances and we fixed things without him quite well.”
Bayern Munich star Philippe Coutinho wears replica jersey as he scores hat-trick against Werder Bremen
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
