'Coutinho offers Liverpool the best of both worlds'
Philippe Coutinho offers Liverpool 'the best of both worlds' by backing up his brilliance on the ball with hard work off it.
That is the view of former Reds midfielder Craig Johnston, who has been impressed by the Brazilian's humility just as much as his performances for the club.
Coutinho, who is readying himself for his fifth full season at Anfield, has cemented himself as a key man for Jürgen Klopp's team.
He scored 13 goals in 31 appearances in the Premier League last term and regularly evidenced his eye for a defence-splitting pass from deeper positions.
Discussing the No.10, Johnston told Liverpoolfc.com: "Philippe Coutinho is an absolute jewel in the crown.
"Not only does he have the clever bits, the genius, but he has the running mentality - he keeps running and keeps running.
"He's the best of both worlds. This boy is so nice off the field as well, I met him in America when Brazil were playing.
"He's just perfection, there's nothing wrong with any of his make-up. He's as good as it gets in a football package [because of] his mentality as well."
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Coutinho played an important role in a team that secured a place in next season's Champions League qualifiers by finishing in the Premier League top four.
Beyond that significant achievement, Johnston has seen plenty of encouraging signs that Klopp's side are on an upward trajectory.
"I thought it was a really good season for us," he added.
"[More] goals than last year, fewer goals conceded, more games won, fewer games lost, more points than the season before.
"Jürgen Klopp took a couple of seasons at Dortmund, they finished fifth and sixth, and then they obviously won the league a couple of times after that."