Ryan Babel is one hell of a player, however for some reason outside of Merseyside he isn’t spoken of in the same glowing terms as the likes of Fabregas, Ronaldo or Lampard, but he really is achingly close being the finished article and one player who really could hold the key to a long awaited Premier League title.
“I think Babel will get better and better. When he runs at defences he’s direct and he’s a menace. He’s had a year now in the Premier League and he knows what it’s all about, so hopefully he’ll keep getting better.” A glowing tribute from Liverpool legend Ian Rush
On the occasions when he took the field in Liverpool colours last season he impressed me greatly. His brief cameos invariably lit up dour games and his old fashioned wing play was a joy to watch. As the season drew on he became surer of himself and more often than not what he achieved in a twenty minute spell did enough to deserve man of the match awards. It was a crying shame that injury forced him out of the Euro 2008 but if he comes back from his ankle injury without too much complication then he is sure to be a more frequent addition to the starting eleven sheet at Anfield.
Ryan’s raw talent endless determination makes him a fresh and exciting young talent who Benitez was wise to capture. The Spaniard has been wise in taking his time with the Dutchman and this coming season could see Babel raise his game another notch. Quite simply when the 21 year old is bearing down on a full back with a full head of steam at full pelt then the opposition has little chance of stopping him in his tracks. The service he could give to the likes of Torres and others in the front row could be invaluable and of course the goals that the former Ajax man scores himself take a look of weight and burden from the strikers. There is of course a case for playing Babel alongside Torres, and that would be an interesting experiment that could negate the need to sign the likes of David Villa.
Either way the future for Babel is bright and Liverpool have a star in the making and one who could hopefully help end their long wait for a league title.