Ryan Babel believes he is ready to take his game “to the next level” – with Rafael Benitez confident Liverpool will see the best of the Dutch forward this season.
Babel returned to Melwood this week after missing the start of the Premier League campaign while appearing for Holland in the Olympic Games.
The 21-year-old scored in the group stages and helped his country to the quarter-finals, where they were beaten by Javier Mascherano’s Argentina.
Babel experienced a testing debut campaign at Anfield after arriving from Ajax for £11.5m last summer, rarely playing a full 90 minutes and limited to just 15 league starts.
But with 12 months’ experience of English football behind him, Babel is eager to make a bigger impact this year.
“This will be my second season at Liverpool, and hopefully I can take my game to the next level,” said the Holland international.
“I’m just focusing now on getting my fitness levels back up to 100%. After that, we will see what players the manager brings in during the transfer market and what my role in the team could be.”
Babel will go straight into the first-team squad for Saturday’s home Premier League game against Middlesbrough.
And Rafael Benitez is expecting more from the player.
“We can maybe see the best from Ryan this season,” said the Liverpool manager. “I can see Babel emerging this season, we know his potential. With Babel improving, Daniel Agger coming back, the younger players coming through with the senior players of more experience, we have a good balance.
“Ryan’s a player that can change a game. He can be a second striker or a striker, or as a winger on either side. We can use his versatility. We know Ryan prefers to play as a striker, but it’s important to have experience in other positions, and it’s always better to play as a winger than be on the bench.
“He has been playing important games so I don’t think there will be any problems with his fitness, but our doctor and fitness coaches will check with him and then we will see about the weekend.
“I am sure he will be okay. If he trains normally then he can be available for Middlesbrough.”
Babel returned to Melwood this week after missing the start of the Premier League campaign while appearing for Holland in the Olympic Games.
The 21-year-old scored in the group stages and helped his country to the quarter-finals, where they were beaten by Javier Mascherano’s Argentina.
Babel experienced a testing debut campaign at Anfield after arriving from Ajax for £11.5m last summer, rarely playing a full 90 minutes and limited to just 15 league starts.
But with 12 months’ experience of English football behind him, Babel is eager to make a bigger impact this year.
“This will be my second season at Liverpool, and hopefully I can take my game to the next level,” said the Holland international.
“I’m just focusing now on getting my fitness levels back up to 100%. After that, we will see what players the manager brings in during the transfer market and what my role in the team could be.”
Babel will go straight into the first-team squad for Saturday’s home Premier League game against Middlesbrough.
And Rafael Benitez is expecting more from the player.
“We can maybe see the best from Ryan this season,” said the Liverpool manager. “I can see Babel emerging this season, we know his potential. With Babel improving, Daniel Agger coming back, the younger players coming through with the senior players of more experience, we have a good balance.
“Ryan’s a player that can change a game. He can be a second striker or a striker, or as a winger on either side. We can use his versatility. We know Ryan prefers to play as a striker, but it’s important to have experience in other positions, and it’s always better to play as a winger than be on the bench.
“He has been playing important games so I don’t think there will be any problems with his fitness, but our doctor and fitness coaches will check with him and then we will see about the weekend.
“I am sure he will be okay. If he trains normally then he can be available for Middlesbrough.”
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