Philippe Coutinho, 34, has signed with Brazilian club Santos for the rest of the season, reuniting with former international teammate Neymar Jr. The midfielder previously left his boyhood club Vasco da Gama in February, stating he was 'mentally exhausted.'
Coutinho's decision to join Santos was significantly influenced by Neymar, who had repeatedly encouraged him to make the move. "Neymar certainly played a very important role in my coming here," Coutinho said. "He's a player who needs no introduction, a friend I've had since childhood, and I think he was the first person in football to send me a message when I left Vasco."
He explained that while Neymar initially reached out after Coutinho's departure from Vasco, the timing was not right. "At that moment I said: 'Look Ney, it would be a pleasure to play with you, but I'm not feeling well right now, it's not possible,'" Coutinho recalled. "Months later he contacted me again, but my answer was the same. Then two weeks ago he sent me another message... Then I stopped, reconsidered... I wanted to go back to playing football and I thought: 'Why not?'"
Coutinho expressed gratitude to the club's president, Mattos, and Neymar for the opportunity. "I'm going to a big club, in another city. It would be unfair to me not being able to go back to work and not being able to go back to playing football," he added.
Coutinho had returned to Vasco da Gama permanently last year, following a loan spell during his time at Aston Villa. However, after facing repeated booing from his own fans, he decided to take a step back from playing. "The truth is, I'm very mentally exhausted," he stated in February. "I've always been very reserved, so saying this here isn't easy, but I need to be honest."
He described his relationship with Vasco as one of love and expressed that it would continue to be so, but understood that it was time to "end this chapter." He added, "I am grateful for everything I experienced here. I will carry Vasco with me forever. In my heart. In my history. In my life. From the bottom of my heart… Thank you for everything."
The midfielder began his career in Vasco's youth academy before moving to Inter Milan in 2008. He later joined Liverpool in 2013, spending five years at Anfield where he made 152 appearances and scored 41 goals. His transfer to Barcelona was one of the most expensive in history at the time. His sale from Liverpool reportedly enabled the club to sign key players like Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker.