The Brazilian has made a dazzling start to life in the Premier League since his arrival from Inter in January, and his manager believes there is even more to come

Brendan Rodgers admits he is surprised at how quickly Liverpool new-boy Philippe Coutinho has adapted to the Premier League, and predicts he will get even better next season.

The young Brazilian has scored three goals and wowed Reds fans and neutrals alike with some stunningly incisive passing since his £8.5 million arrival from Inter in January.

And Rodgers believes the prodigious 20-year-old possesses all the attributes to be a key part of his plans for years to come.

“When you bring somebody in during January you hope they can make an impact,” the Liverpool boss told reporters.

“You are also looking at it as a six-month adaptation period before you get the best out of them from pre-season onwards.

“We are all pleasantly pleased and surprised by how well he has done. His numbers tell you the story in terms of goals and assists.

“At the minute, you can’t ask any more. The key thing is that he works his socks off as well. He is a real team player.

“He has genuine man strength. He’s 20 years of age but he’s not a boy. He can look after himself. His body work is great, he is small in stature. The best players very rarely get tackled because they are so bright and clever.

“You can see he can use his body if needs be, but he has to become adapted to the physical game here as the Premier League is very physical.

“He’s been a real find for us in terms of the price we paid. Hopefully his value will be much greater than the cost in the coming years.”