Liverpool midfielder Coutinho sets Premier League, World Cup twin target
Philippe Coutinho hopes to enjoy a special couple of months by helping Liverpool win the Premier League and then playing for Brazil at a home World Cup.
Liverpool look set to become champions for the first time since 1990 after moving five points clear at the top of the table on the back of an 11-match winning run.
They have just three games left to play, starting with a home clash against Chelsea on Sunday, and Coutinho is focused on finishing the job.
A few more good performances would also boost Coutinho's claims for a place in the Brazil World Cup squad, and he is desperate for one of the most crucial phases of his career to go well.
"The players know how important these remaining games are, and we will fight and do our best on the pitch to make winning the league happen," he told the Daily Mail.
'It is a very special moment, with Liverpool going for the title and my country staging the World Cup. Don't forget the saying "Brazilians never lose hope" - I still hope to play for Brazil at the World Cup. This could be a very special two months."
Coutinho believes he is suited to Liverpool's style of play and is delighted with how his game has progressed over the past few years, having joined Inter Milan from Vasco da Gama in 2010 before making the switch to Anfield in January of last year.
He explained: "Moving to Europe has added an extra dimension to my game. At Inter, Rafa Benitez changed my mentality. He made me more of a team player and encouraged me to move the ball more quickly and get more involved.
"Now, with Liverpool, I am moving faster still and thinking even more quickly. It just felt right for me here from the outset.
"The team have been playing with a great deal of freedom in attack and that has helped me adapt so easily.
"It also helped to move into Fabio Aurelio's old house, opposite Sefton Park, with my wife Aine, my brothers and our two dogs, Will and Mell."
