It was a moment that gave Philippe Coutinho ‘ the creeps ’ - standing in the players ’ lounge , awaiting the arrival of football royalty , he had nerves like never before . Not much flusters Coutinho , whom The Kop has christened O Magico ( The Magician ) , but before Liverpool ’ s tussle with Manchester United last month he and Lucas Leiva were given the chance to meet Brazil ’ s most famous son . Spending time with Pele did not disappoint . ‘ It ’ s the ultimate honour because Pele is the greatest player of Brazil and probably the world , ’ says Coutinho . ‘ We only spoke for a little bit but he asked us how things were . Yes , I got a photograph . I ’ m going to keep it alongside the one I have with Ronaldinho. ’ Liverpool midfielder Philippe Coutinho ( left ) described it as the 'ultimate honour ' to speak to Brazil icon Pele . Pele ( centre ) was a special guest for the Reds ' league encounter vs rivals Manchester United last month . In terms of looking for sources of inspiration , Coutinho could hardly choose two better . His ambition is to follow in their footsteps and make Brazil ’ s fabled No 10 shirt his own but , before then , his first task must be to dominate Anfield ’ s landscape . There is no doubting Coutinho ’ s class . Look on YouTube and you will find footage of him bamboozling opponents as a 10-year-old in Rio de Janeiro . A decade on and the same tricks and shimmies are flummoxing defenders in the Barclays Premier League . During Monday ’ s 2-0 dismissal of Newcastle United , Coutinho produced one moment of skill - a step-over and dummied pass all in the same movement - that prompted Brendan Rodgers to applaud . ‘ When you see the manager trusts you and gives you a lot of confidence it makes you play even better , ’ says Coutinho . Since the turn of the year , Coutinho ’ s form and confidence have risen dramatically . There have been a number of spectacular moments , particularly in the FA Cup - his goals in replays against Bolton Wanderers and Blackburn Rovers are the reason Liverpool travel to Wembley to face Aston Villa in the semi-final on Sunday . Rodgers feels the resurgence of Coutinho , who is on the six-man shortlist for the PFA Player of the Year , comes from him feeling settled after signing a new long-term contract at the beginning of February . The 22-year-old does not disagree with his manager . Unlike the situation surrounding Raheem Sterling ’ s negotiations , the discussions for Coutinho were straightforward . ‘ Liverpool have always shown a great warmth to me so when they came to me with a proposal I did not need to think twice , ’ he says . Coutinho ( centre ) scored the only goal as Liverpool won 1-0 at Blackburn in their FA Cup sixth round replay . ‘ I have always been looked after very well by this club and I am very happy here , so I didn ’ t even have to think about it . My mind is at Liverpool. ’ And so on to Wembley . Again Coutinho expects to feel ‘ the creeps ’ at one of the sport ’ s most iconic venues but he is also aware of how imperative it is to deliver . He says : ‘ We will try to finish the season on a high but games like this are always tough . We have to start well , do our best to play our game . It would be important to win the cup , not only for me , but for the club . That would be a massive achievement. ’ Coutinho 's ( right ) displays have seen him nominated for the PFA Player and Young Player of the Year awards .
Liverpool face Aston Villa in their FA Cup semi-final at Brazil on Sunday . Pele was a special guest as the Reds played Manchester United in March . Philippe Coutinho has been nominated for the PFA Player of the Year and PFA Young Player of the Year awards .