Leicester City boss Brendan Rodgers has revealed how Chelsea tried to sign Philippe Coutinho when he was 14.

Rodgers was a youth-team and reserve coach at Stamford Bridge between 2004 and 2008.

The Brazilian signed with Inter Milan, but Rodgers eventually got his man when he was in charge of Liverpool, with then 19-year-old Coutinho moving to Anfield in 2014.

"When I was looking at the team in the first six months, there was certain ingredients we were missing," Rodgers told The Beautiful Game Podcastabout his former Liverpool team.

"Philippe was one I knew from my Chelsea days, because we tried to get him to Chelsea when he was 14 but he had already committed to Inter Milan.

"We talked about him during the summer and kept tabs on him then all of a sudden he became available and at 19 I thought: 'Wow, right, let's get this boy in'."

Leicester are being linked with a summer move for the Barcelona playmaker, so too are Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur.

And the Northern Irishman has talked up the 27-year-old as 'world-class'.

Rodgers added: "Most people probably look at him and think he's not for the Premier League but what a talent.

"He intimidates people when he has the ball with his quality.

"It's sad to see, I hear people talk him down at the moment. This boy is top and if he comes to this league, he'll show that. He's world class."