Philippe Coutinho has stated that he does not regret his decision to leave Liverpool and join Barcelona.
The Brazilian playmaker swapped Anfield for the Camp Nou in January 2018 in a transfer deal worth up to £142million, with his 'dream' quickly turning into a nightmare after a bright start.
Having made just over 100 appearances across four years, Coutinho is now on loan at Aston Villa, linking up with former Liverpool teammate Steven Gerrard.
But despite his fall from grace, the 29-year-old is content with the path he chose.
Asked if he regrets leaving the Reds in hindsight, Coutinho told ESPN : "No. At certain times we have to make decisions, and one of my big dreams was to play for Barcelona.
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"At that moment I decided to make that decision, but always with great affection, respect and gratitude for Liverpool and for the friendships over the years I've been in the club.
"At that moment I had a decision to make and I don't regret it."
Having enjoyed a similarly positive start at Villa Park, Coutinho was reunited with Gerrard shortly after the Anfield legend took over as manager last year, with a shock loan deal agreed in the January transfer window.
"I always admired him a lot. For me, it was an honour to have played with him," the midfielder added. "Now having him as a coach, with the experience he has, training has been strong and demanding.
"He has great ambitions, I am happy to be here and I hope to respond to what he expects by helping our team to achieve our goals.
"For me, it was an honour to be part of his career as a player, and now, as a coach, I feel even more honoured.
"I have always had this relationship of admiration and respect. I wish I had that opportunity to work with him again. He's a guy who's very open to all players and has a lot of influence in the group."
Coutinho is clearly loving live back in the English top flight, even though Gerrard's side have won just won one game in 2022.
"I really like it here. I missed the Premier League and the people here. They treated me really well and I missed this. It's good to be back here," he said to Sky Sports.
"The games here are so intensive so I like that type of game. I have to adapt again, I'm trying my best in training and I'm getting better from the intensity point of view. I think that's the difference that I really like."
