Brazilian legend Kaka has claimed his compatriot Philippe Coutinho is ready to step into the void created by Liverpool great Steven Gerrard following his move to LA Galaxy last month.

Coutinho started the new Premier League season in sparkling fashion with a stunning winning goal in Sunday's 1-0 victory against Stoke at the Britannia Stadium, with Orlando City's Kaka convinced the 23-year-old is ready to emerge as a leader in Brendan Rodgers' remodelled team.

"Coutinho is a humble guy. He won't talk about being able to replace a legend like Steven Gerrard and the truth is nobody could ever replace him, but with Gerrard gone they do need somebody to step up and he can do that," Kaka said, according to the Daily Mirror.

"I have been a big admirer of Coutinho and he can be a very important player for Liverpool and Brazil. There will be a lot of expectation on him with Liverpool fighting to get back into the Champions League, but I know that he can handle it.