The 32-year-old is in awe of the Brazilian and believes that he can be instrumental alongside Daniel Sturridge and Luis Suarez

Kolo Toure is confident Phillipe Coutinho can make the difference for Liverpool during their push for a top-four finish this season.

The Brazilian playmaker made his return from injury as a substitute in the Reds’ 2-0 defeat at Arsenal on Saturday, following an extended period out after undergoing shoulder surgery.

And Toure believes the former Inter midfielder can have a huge impact on Liverpool’s season, even branding the 21-year-old the club’s best player.

“I call him [Coutinho] my player, my best player, because I think he is amazing. He makes the difference,” he told reporters after his side’s loss at the Emirates Stadium.

“This season he has been injured and when he will come back, I think he’s going to be amazing this season, definitely. In training, he is one of the hardest to mark, definitely. I call him my best player.”

Toure also praised Liverpool’s prolific strike-force, suggesting that both Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge are two of the best forwards in the world.

“Suarez is amazing, too,” the Ivorian added. “When you have a player like that [Coutinho], you know that you have this magic and people haven’t seen that yet and they will because he is young, definitely.

“In Suarez and Daniel Sturridge we have two of the best strikers in the world. They are amazing. I think when Coutinho came on in the second half it showed there’s not much difference between us and Arsenal.

“The season is long. We all want to be champion. This is only November. They will have a hard time as well. The season is not done yet, definitely.”