Philippe Coutinho says it’s an “honour” to be at Liverpool despite failed Barcelona transfer

Philippe Coutinho has finally opened up about the "difficulty" of his failed transfer to Barcelona, but insists he remains faithful to Liverpool despite handing in a transfer request.

After a tense summer that saw Liverpool rejected three bids from the Spanish giants with FSG holding their firm stance that their star Brazilian was not for sale, Coutinho has finally broken his silence - admitting that August was a "difficult"month as he aimed to push through a move for Spain.

Despite handing in a transfer request, Coutinho maintains that he is still faithful to Liverpool, calling his time at Anfield to be an "honour".

"What happened was a job offer and, in life, sometimes you get interested. Sometimes you don't and, in my case, everyone knows that I got interested, my family too," Coutinho said to ESPN Brasil.

"But as I have always said, it is a great offer to receive an offer from such a great club like that.

"But it is also a great honour being here. Liverpool is a great club worldwide. I'm here and I will give my best as always. I'm working hard, my thoughts are on the team's goals, making a good season."

Arguably one of Liverpool's strongest attack-minded forces, the loss of Coutinho would have no doubt left a void in Klopp's side. The Brazilian was the joint top-scorer across the entire squad last season, scoring 13 goals and creating 65 chances in the league.

Barcelona's third and final offer for Coutinho was a rejected £119m bid and he maintains that his dedication and passion for Liverpool remains unchanged in the five years he has spent on Merseyside.

"It was a complicated month for me but as I have said, it is an honour to receive that offer but it is also an honour to wear this shirt, so what I can do is work hard and honour that on the field. It is all cool," he continued.

When asked if he would join Barcelona in the future, he said: "Not that I know of. I am in a place that I have always been given respect by everyone and (I) too respect everyone. I have conquered my space in four, five years and never had any problems with anyone - the fans, the board, my team-mates, the coaching staff. That has not changed.

"As I have said, in life, in every job you get an offer, interested or not. It is all in the past."