New Aston Villa signing Philippe Coutinho's bid to return to his sensational best in the Premier League will be boosted by a distinctive red band that was given to him by Lionel Messi in 2019.
Ballon d'Or winner Messi and former Liverpool Player of the Season Coutinho were friends during their time together at Barcelona, and the Paris Saint-Germain magician gave the Brazil playmaker the bracelet when the Premier League's most expensive ever export struggled for form in 2019.
Messi had been handed the keepsake by journalist Rama Pantarotto after the deadly striker suffered an uncharacteristic penalty miss in a 2018 World Cup group stage game against Iceland.