Philippe Coutinho’s career has taken a downward turn in recent years (Picture: Getty)
Former Liverpool star Philippe Coutinho was mocked by League One side Stevenage FC after joining Qatari club Al-Duhail on loan from Aston Villa.
Coutinho was a star player for Liverpool between 2013 and 2018, registering 54 goals and 45 assists across 201 games for the Reds.
He then left Anfield to join Barcelona in a huge deal worth a total of £142m but injury problems and poor form saw his opportunities increasingly limited as he was sent out on loan to Bayern Munich and then Aston Villa.
Villa made it a permanent deal for Coutinho last year but it has not worked out for the Brazilian at the Premier League club and he will now join Al-Duhail in Qatar until the end of the season on loan.
Stevenage could not resist aiming a dig at Coutinho over the move after the League One club knocked Villa out of the FA Cup last season with a 2-1 victory.
‘They found him, finally,’ Stevenage posted on Twitter with a picture of Coutinho playing against them in the FA Cup, poking fun at his poor performance.
Stevenage have made a strong start to the season in the third tier of English football, winning four of their six league games, and they are third in the table.
More: Trending
Coutinho, meanwhile, is hoping for a fresh start after falling down the Villa pecking order under Unai Emery.
The 31-year-old, who signed for the club under previous manager Steven Gerrard, has made just two substitute appearances for Villa this term.
Coutinho has been capped 68 times by Brazil but has not featured for his international team since June 2022 and missed the World Cup in Qatar.
MORE : Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk suspended for extra match and fined £100,000
MORE : Aston Villa team bus attacked after Premier League win over Burnley