A biography for Ryan Babelhasn’t been written yet.
“I went to the UAE aged 28, which normally doesn't make sense to go at that age.”
“America has always been a special place for me, since my youth.”
“Music has always been an important part of my life.”
“It doesn't annoy me that I always get asked about my future.”
“I came in on time, I was always a professional.”
“With Ajax and Liverpool, you win about 80 per cent of matches.”
“I still believe I can be a striker but, if you want to be a striker, you have to think more about yourself and that's why you are a striker.”
“Every footballer plays with the hope that people love to watch you. But, for me, there is no sympathy or interest. I don't seem to have any charm for fans.”
“No, I never doubted my ability.”
“Everything I did on the left I had to learn in a 4-4-2 system, it wasn't natural. To collect the ball on my wrong foot.”
“For a 20 year old the gap from Holland to England is massive. That's a fact. Not all players are able to settle in directly from day one. I remember even Van Persie needed two, three years but he became Van Persie.”
“I'm not the type of player who gives up.”
“If you are young and you don't get rewarded with game-time, or don't come into games, it is difficult to try to still be hungry in the training sessions.”
“In the English 4-4-2 you have to change your mentality from a winger to a left midfielder, having to help your full-back.”
“I feel confident that I'm good enough to play a lot of games for Liverpool.”
“Yes, there is a lot of competition for places at Liverpool but that's the same at every top club. It was like that when I was at Ajax and that isn't a problem for me.”
“I do think I have a thing or two to improve myself although it is difficult to reach your full potential at an average team.”
“There are plenty of players who have a lot of talent. It's all about getting the best out of yourself and you'll have to work very hard to achieve that.”
“Not everyone is Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo. Even Cristiano Ronaldo's first years at Manchester United were quite difficult.”
“For every player it's nice to go to the World Cup and it's very important to do that in your career.”