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.

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."

Family first

The tactic from Rodgers was an ingenious one, especially for a player like Coutinho, who places his family above all else.

The ink stretching from his fingers to his bicep form tributes to his parents, two brothers, and his wife Aine; it's a permanent reminder of those closest to him who have sacrificed so much to aid his success.

During this interview, he constantly surveys his tattoos as he traces his career blueprint and it is clear his support structure are the central theme.

His journey began in Rocha, in Rio de Janeiro's North Zone, in the shadow of the iconic Maracanã stadium.

Coutinho's modest home was sandwiched between Favela da Mangueira, one of the city's oldest shantytowns which creeps up the hillside, and small industrial warehouses.

Importantly, it was also close to a concrete pitch, which is where he watched his older brothers Cristiano and Leandro challenge their friends, and where he would later conjure his magic.

"They were always with the ball like most children in the country, and of course, I wanted to be like them," Coutinho says.

Except he was better, a whole lot better. From the age of six, the squares of stone used by the community became his haven and the streets turned into his playground.

His diet was futsal -- a variant of the game employed on smaller fields with a heavier ball and just five or six players per team. With space restricted and the need for skill and improvisation heightened, the diminutive Coutinho flourished.

His family were always there witness to his expertise, but it was the grandmother of a friend who urged Jose Carlos to enrol his son into a football academy.

There was no hesitation from Coutinho's father, and the gifted youngster joined a local boys team. A few months later, Vasco's coaches approached the architect at a tournament and encouraged him to get Coutinho to attend a trial with the club.

"I was crying and I didn't want to play because I was shy," he remembers of the open day. He held onto his dad in the stands while the other kids warmed up. "I was new to the group, everyone knew each other so I was feeling a little uncomfortable and embarrassed.

"After a short while and some motivation, I was fine. When I actually started to play, it was all normal and natural. I wasn't shy anymore, I was enjoying it."

His parents, older brothers and later Aine would follow him everywhere, watching every game.

Their support fuelled Coutinho's ability and at 16, his big breakthrough arrived. Italian giants Inter Milan paid $7.7 million to secure the services of the teenager, who would continue to develop at Vasco and join them two years later.

(CNN)