Middlesbrough legend Juninho Paulista says that Neymar is the only Brazilian footballer better than Philippe Coutinho. Coutinho surpassed Juninho’s Premier League record for a Brazilian on Saturday, with his 30th goal in the English top flight.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Juninho was delighted for a player of Coutinho’s quality to take his record, “I am delighted that he takes my record. I can’t think of anyone better – the record couldn’t be in better hands.
“Coutinho can be considered, after Neymar, the best player in Brazil. He’s a different class and he deserves everything he is achieving because he has worked very hard for it.” Juninho, himself a playmaker during his time at Boro and Atletico Madrid, highlighted the Liverpool man’s greatest attribute.
“If you have an intelligence to your game then you can find the space on the pitch and because the game in England is so fast, that means a lot of the time it is also very open. One of Coutinho’s biggest qualities is that ability to find the space.
“People think that type of player will have more difficulties adapting to English football than say Spanish football but in England I found a lot more space than I did in Spain. The intensity is there but if you get past the first wave of pressure then the pitch opens up.”