DUTCH & GO
ANFIELD NEW BOY AIMS HIGH
By Simon Mullock 22/07/2007
LIVERPOOL new boy Ryan Babel has revealed that Holland coach Marco van Basten warned him he was gambling with his international future by moving to Anfield.
Rafa Benitez's £11.5million signing from Ajax was one of a number of young Dutch players who were advised by Van Basten to stay in their homeland to safeguard their chances of going to next summer's European Championship finals.
But Babel, 19, decided it was a risk worth taking - and he is confident he will get enough first-team action at Liverpool this season to remain in Van Basten's plans.
"Van Basten spoke to us before the European Under-21 Championship this summer and he told us maybe it would be best for us all to stay in Holland if we wanted to go to be in the senior squad next summer," said Babel.
"It was his idea that we would be better off playing first-team football at home rather than take the chance of signing for a foreign club and spending too much time on the bench.
"But if I am honest, his words did not even enter my mind when Liverpool said they wanted to sign me.
"I spoke to Rafa Benitez to hear his plans and I have enough confidence in my own ability to believe I will play enough games for Liverpool to convince Van Basten I should go to the tournament.
"I don't see this move to Liverpool as a risk. Perhaps time will prove me wrong. Maybe people will look back in 12 months' time and say I was stupid to join Liverpool because I didn't go to the European Championship.
"But at this moment, I have confidence in my ability to believe I will be going.
"I am still young, and maybe people see me as a player Liverpool have signed for the future. I can understand that, but I am also here to make an impact now."
He added: "When I spoke with Rafa Benitez he told me how he works, and he said it was his intention to give me games straight away.
"Sure, he knows I will have to settle in at a new club, but he told me that I am part of his plans for the coming season as well as the future.
"I have a good relationship with Van Basten and he knows what I can do on the field.
"I listen to his advice, of course, but I also have to make the decisions I feel are right for me, and once Liverpool said they wanted to sign me, I had to come."
Liverpool are flush with forwards following the arrivals of Babel, £26.5m club record signing Fernando Torres and Andriy Veronin, with Peter Crouch and Dirk Kuyt also at Benitez's disposal. But Babel is not fazed by the competition for places, having made his Ajax debut just two months after his 17th birthday.
He became Holland's youngest goalscorer for almost 70 years when he won the first of his 14 caps in a World Cup qualifier against Romania just over a year later.
SundayMirror
ANFIELD NEW BOY AIMS HIGH
By Simon Mullock 22/07/2007
LIVERPOOL new boy Ryan Babel has revealed that Holland coach Marco van Basten warned him he was gambling with his international future by moving to Anfield.
Rafa Benitez's £11.5million signing from Ajax was one of a number of young Dutch players who were advised by Van Basten to stay in their homeland to safeguard their chances of going to next summer's European Championship finals.
But Babel, 19, decided it was a risk worth taking - and he is confident he will get enough first-team action at Liverpool this season to remain in Van Basten's plans.
"Van Basten spoke to us before the European Under-21 Championship this summer and he told us maybe it would be best for us all to stay in Holland if we wanted to go to be in the senior squad next summer," said Babel.
"It was his idea that we would be better off playing first-team football at home rather than take the chance of signing for a foreign club and spending too much time on the bench.
"But if I am honest, his words did not even enter my mind when Liverpool said they wanted to sign me.
"I spoke to Rafa Benitez to hear his plans and I have enough confidence in my own ability to believe I will play enough games for Liverpool to convince Van Basten I should go to the tournament.
"I don't see this move to Liverpool as a risk. Perhaps time will prove me wrong. Maybe people will look back in 12 months' time and say I was stupid to join Liverpool because I didn't go to the European Championship.
"But at this moment, I have confidence in my ability to believe I will be going.
"I am still young, and maybe people see me as a player Liverpool have signed for the future. I can understand that, but I am also here to make an impact now."
He added: "When I spoke with Rafa Benitez he told me how he works, and he said it was his intention to give me games straight away.
"Sure, he knows I will have to settle in at a new club, but he told me that I am part of his plans for the coming season as well as the future.
"I have a good relationship with Van Basten and he knows what I can do on the field.
"I listen to his advice, of course, but I also have to make the decisions I feel are right for me, and once Liverpool said they wanted to sign me, I had to come."
Liverpool are flush with forwards following the arrivals of Babel, £26.5m club record signing Fernando Torres and Andriy Veronin, with Peter Crouch and Dirk Kuyt also at Benitez's disposal. But Babel is not fazed by the competition for places, having made his Ajax debut just two months after his 17th birthday.
He became Holland's youngest goalscorer for almost 70 years when he won the first of his 14 caps in a World Cup qualifier against Romania just over a year later.
SundayMirror
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