Aston Villa: £125k-a-week star's 'confidence taken a hit' at Villa Park

Aston Villa star Philippe Coutinho‘s confidence has been knocked recently, according to MidlandsLive journalist Ashley Preece.

The £125,000 per-week man enjoyed a fine run following his return to English football back in January, but he’s been unable to replicate that type of form since joining Villa permanently.

Having slipped down the pecking order at Barcelona, Steven Gerrard was able to convince Coutinho to come back to the Premier League in the winter.

As a result, the Brazilian signed on loan until the end of the season, proving one of the standout deals in January.

Despite a lack of game-time in Spain, Coutinho hit the ground running, registering four goals and three assists in his first eight appearances.

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He would eventually finish with eight goal contributions in 1,138 minutes of action, an impressive return from the ex-Liverpool man.

His form prompted Gerrard to re-sign him on a permanent basis, with Villa forking out just £17m, far less than the £142m Barcelona paid the Reds four years earlier.

But since securing returning to Villa Park, Coutinho has struggled to produce the same attacking output and is yet to score or assist in eight games this season, ultimately leading to him being dropped by Gerrard.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “I think his confidence has taken a hit. He burst on the scene at Villa Park in January and despite only being half fit, he really showed the Coutinho of old.

“Some of the goals and assists were fantastic, and then to sign a player of his calibre on a permanent for just £17m was a really great deal, but we haven’t seen it this season.”

With Coutinho yet to produce a single goal