Philippe Coutinho has it all, says Brazil coach Tite

Berlin, March 27: Brazil coach Tite believes Philippe Coutinho has all the attributes a footballer needs and has become a "very strong" player as he prepares for his first World Cup.

Coutinho has established himself as one of the world's most talented midfielders since narrowly missing out on Luiz Felipe Scolari's 2014 World Cup squad.

Playing regularly in a Liverpool side renowned for their attacking fluency under Brendan Rodgers and then Jurgen Klopp has played a major role in his development, before eventually sealing a £142million switch to Barcelona in January.

He has perhaps lacked consistency a little since making the move to Spain, but Tite is convinced the 25-year-old - who scored in Friday's 3-0 win over Russia - is the complete package.

"What qualities do you think are important in a footballer? He has it," Tite told reporters.

"The whole of Coutinho's work is very strong. He has passing, competitiveness, effectiveness at medium distance, speed of thought and execution, assists, and now a greater maturity, which is also important.

"He and Willian understand that they are offensive players. Douglas Costa is taking this in, [Roberto] Firmino is looking to convert what he has done in Liverpool – being aggressive, going for the goal, not heading out wide."

Brazil face Germany in their next friendly on Tuesday (March 27), as the two sides meet for the first time since Joachim Low's men incredibly ran out 7-1 winners on Brazilian soil in the semi-finals of the 2014 World Cup.

Source: OPTA