Liverpool have confirmed the news that Philippe Coutinho has signed a new five year contract with the club.
The Brazilian has put pen to paper on a deal that will see him stay at Anfield until 2020, and reportedly double his wages to £70,000 a week.
The 22-year-old has scored 10 goals in 81 appearances since signing for the club for £8million from Inter Milan in January 2013.
“I’m really happy. It’s a dream come true playing for this great club and being part of this squad,” he told Liverpool’s official website.
“Today I’ve committed my future to the club and for this I’m feeling very pleased.
“This club is great and the fans have always supported me, so I’ve been eager to sign this new deal since conversations started. Today is a very happy day.”
He added: “It means so much. This club has given me the opportunity to play and believed in me even though I hadn’t been playing regularly at my previous club.
“I’ve had a great reception since my first day here. As I always say, Liverpool is a big family and I’m a happy person here.”
Manager Brendan Rodgers believes Coutinho will now develop into a ‘figurehead’ for the Reds.
He said: “He arrived as a young man, in a country he’d never lived in before and joined a club where expectations are high. He has shown a willingness to listen, learn and improve.
“I love working with players like Philippe – he has an attitude to match his talent, but underlying all of that is a humble approach to his work and his life.
“It is my hope now that he continues with his improvement and development and becomes a figurehead for this exciting, vibrant, youthful squad of players, as we look to grow as a group and achieve success together.”
