Philippe Coutinho would be the perfect player for the No.10 role no matter what number adorned the back of his Liverpool shirt.

That’s the verdict of John Barnes, one of the greatest to wear that jersey in Reds history and a man who lists the current incumbent as his favourite player in Jürgen Klopp’s team.

“The No.10 role has now become identifiable with a position,” the legend explains in tonight’s new episode of ‘LFC Later’.

“So I think that any player like Philippe Coutinho going to any club and he is the Philippe Coutinho at a particular club, they would want to be the No.10 and would identify with it.

“He’s sensational, he’s fantastic. In many respects, even if he had a different number on his back, he would be a No.10. As much as he has a number 10 on his back, he plays as a No.10 will play, even if he was No.7, No.8, No.9, No.6. He plays as a creative player and as an attacking creative player.

“He is a fantastic player. I love him – my favourite player at Liverpool.”

Barnes – who also looks ahead to Monday’s clash with another of his former clubs, Watford – is joined on the show by rugby league stars James Roby and Kyle Amor, as Claire Rourke and Jason McAteer take a light-hearted look at the latest events at the club and in football.

Former Reds defender Dominic Matteo is the next in the Teammates hotseat, too, lifting the lid on the colleagues he met during his time at Anfield, and there’s an extra special guest in the form of the Reds’ New Balance home kit for 2017-18.

Watch ‘LFC Later’ at 10pm BST on LFCTV tonight, with repeats in the coming days, and the show will also be available on demand on LFCTV GO.