I was badly coached at Liverpool, says Babel

Former Liverpool winger Ryan Babel claims being “badly coached” by Rafa Benitez was the reason why he failed to realise his potential at Anfield.

The Dutchman, who is currently playing in Spain for Deportivo La Coruna, scored 22 goals in 146 appearances for the Reds following a £11.5million move from Ajax in the summer of 2007. Babel was dogged by inconsistency and fell out of favour before being sold to Hoffenheim by for around half that amount four years later.

Asked about his Liverpool career, Babel told AS: “I think I was badly coached. Neither the coach nor the technical team gave me good advice.

“I was 20 when I arrived to the Premier League. When you are that age, people have to help you, talk to you. When I arrived, no-one helped me. I was alone. It’s difficult for any young player. Not everyone is (Lionel) Messi or (Cristiano) Ronaldo.

“Even Ronaldo’s first two years at Manchester were difficult. But Alex Ferguson helped him. He was on top of him, he was able to grow up and now he is one of the best players in the world.

“But had Ferguson not taken care of Ronaldo, he may not be the Ronaldo we know now.

“People talk about a new player as a fantastic talent, the new (Diego) Maradona. But before he can become the new Maradona, he needs advice and help. Young players need time to develop.

“When I left Liverpool, I could have stayed in England. But I was happy to go to Germany and then to return to Ajax. I then took decisions based on choosing teams where I would enjoy playing football. To have arrived to La Liga is a dream come true.”