Philippe Coutinho might never admit it, but the former Liverpool playmaker must wonder what might have been had he stayed at Anfield rather than forced through a $174m (£134m/€160m) move to Barcelona .
More than six years on, Coutinho has made a memorable return to his first club , Vasco da Gama, joining the Brazilian side on loan from Aston Villa. Coutinho's football journey began in the youth ranks at Vasco before he moved to Inter. He had a two-year stint back at Vasco between 2008 and 2010, where he played 19 matches and netted once.
His career took off after leaving Brazil, with his standout performances coming during his time at Liverpool between 2013 and 2018. During this period, Coutinho donned the red shirt 201 times, scoring 54 goals and setting up 43.
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In 2018, Coutinho transferred to Barcelona. Since then, he has had loan spells at Bayern Munich and Aston Villa, before making his move to Villa Park permanent in the summer of 2022.
However, things didn't go as planned. Coutinho spent the last season on loan with Qatari side Al-Duhail and has now sealed an emotional return to Vasco. His homecoming was marked by a stunning presentation at the club's stadium on Saturday, attended by 20,000 fans.
The event featured a big screen displaying messages from some of Coutinho's Brazilian teammates. However, when Neymar appeared on the screen, it was met with boos from several Vasco supporters. (In contrast, striker Richarlison received cheers when his face appeared).
Supporters were heard chanting: "Coutinho is better than Neymar," during the presentation. Overwhelmed with emotions, Coutinho addressed the crowd and said: "Thank you for this wonderful celebration.
"I never imagined, not even in my wildest dreams, that I would have such a celebratory return. A movie plays in my head being on this field. From the age of 7 until I was 16, I would go behind these fences to get to the youth team's locker room.
"Then I would go to school here. It has always been my dream to be part of this, to become a professional and to play in front of you. Thank you very much."
Expressing gratitude to his loved ones and fans, he added: "To my parents, who are here, to my children. And to all of you, who supported me even from a distance, playing in another country. I hope we celebrate together. You can be sure that I will give my all to honor this shirt on the field."
Vasco presented Coutinho with the number 11 shirt and videos were shown on social media where a drone delivers the shirt to the ex-Liverpool man. Sharing the stage were his three children, each donning shirts with 'Coutinho, 11' printed on the back.
Liverpool full-back Trent Alexander Arnold took to Instagram with well-wishes for Coutinho's transition and said: "Hi Phil, it's Trent here I just wanted to say all the best and good luck for your new journey and challenge. I know you'll smash it, all the best my friend."
He could make his debut as early as Wednesday when Vasco faces Atletico Goianiense in an away match in the Brazilian Serie A. The game kicks off at 11pm UK time, with Vasco currently positioned 11th in the league standings.
Liverpool.com says: Coutinho at his best was up there with Thiago Alcantara in terms of the most aesthetically pleasing Liverpool players to watch in recent times. He made a bad decision to go to Barcelona, though, and his decline since then has been steep.
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