Jordan Henderson insists Coutinho will be welcomed back at Anfield

Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson believes that former Reds star Philippe Coutinho will be welcomed back at Anfield. The skipper made these comments while talking to Spanish news outlet SPORT (h/t Daily Mail).

The Brazilian spent five seasons at Liverpool where he transformed from a promising player to a world-class star. An important player under Brendan Rodgers and later under Jurgen Klopp, the 27-year-old made 201 appearances for Liverpool, scoring 54 goals.

Coutinho made a sensational transfer to Barcelona in the winter of 2018 for a mammoth £145million. He has since struggled to make an impact at the Nou Camp and is currently out on loan at Bayern Munich.

Henderson praised the player for his attitude and love for the game. He further added that the Brazilian remains a close friend.

However, the Liverpool captain believes that Coutinho’s time at the club has passed. Although the Brazilian will be welcomed back at the club by the skipper and a number of his Liverpool teammates, Henderson states that the decision to do so is not up to them.

“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.”

The 29-year-old also went on to claim that the Reds have improved post-Coutinho and are now a much better outfit. He admits to having doubts about the negative impact the Brazilian’s transfer would have had on the team and credited his teammates for stepping up when required, making light work of the playmaker’s sale.

“I felt it was a moment to take a step forward. The guys lifted their performances and we fixed things without him quite well.”

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It is difficult to disagree with Henderson regarding the team’s improvement. Liverpool have been in two Champions League finals since the Brazilian’s departure.

The Reds ironically dumped out Coutinho’s Barcelona en route to winning their sixth European Cup in Madrid last season. We are also just weeks away from winning their first league title in 30 years.