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That was to
be the last communication the players heard before taking to the
Anfield turf, an unconventional approach, but one that had inspired the
side to an unexpected and riveting Premier League run.
"I was so anxious for it to be my
turn, for the manager to read the letter from my Mum," Coutinho admits
to CNN Sport. "I waited and waited for it. The manager had spoken to the
mothers of every player in the team, he'd been reading a message before
every game for months and finally my turn had come."
It
is a miserable May afternoon at Liverpool's Melwood training ground,
the sky clouded a dark shade of grey, drenching those below with
stubborn showers.
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A letter from Coutinho's Mum before last season's game against Manchester City inspired the Brazilian to a barnstorming display.
In a room on the complex's upper tier, Coutinho watches the rain fall as he recounts a different pouring -- one of emotion.
"At
first, I didn't know that the manager would be reading a letter from
her, then he mentioned her name and I was really overwhelmed," he
continues. "It said she loved me, is proud of me, is always with me and
missing me.
"There
was more, but those are just the words I needed to hear. It filled me
up. The other players were also really moved because every week,
regardless of whose mother it was with the message, we were all inspired
and emotional.
"We were getting really strong, powerful words and it pushed us so much."
Coutinho
turned in a titanic performance that day when Liverpool dared to dream
of the title, netting the winner in an epic 3-2 encounter -- a strike
which Luis Suarez selected as the goal of the season for 2013/14 in his
autobiography, "Crossing the Line.
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