Ryan Babel
 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ryan Guno Babel | ||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Position(s) |
Striker Left winger | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Liverpool | ||
| Number | 19 | ||
| ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 28 March, 2007 | |||
Ryan Guno Babel (born December 19, 1986 in Amsterdam) is a Dutch professional football player who currently plays for Liverpool. He is right footed and plays as a striker or a left winger. He has been a member of the Netherlands national football team since 2005.
Club career
Ajax
In 1997, Babel attended a youth selection day with AFC Ajax. He made it through the first selection round, but failed to progress any further.[1] However, the next year Ajax did take him on and he played the 1998–99 season for their D1 team.[1] After having also passed through the C1, B1 and A1 teams, Babel signed his first professional contract in January 2004.[1]
On February 1 2004, just two months after his 17th birthday, Ajax coach Ronald Koeman gave Babel his first team debut in Ajax's 4-0 home win over ADO Den Haag in the Eredivisie.[2] Ajax went on to win the Dutch league title, but Babel didn't feature again that season. Nine months later, on 20 November 2004 Babel scored his first senior goal against De Graafschap in a 5-0 victory.[3]
In July 2005, Babel signed a new contract with Ajax. He started the new season by scoring the winning goal in Ajax's 2-1 defeat of PSV Eindhoven in the Dutch Super Cup. Babel scored in both legs of the Champions League third qualifying round against Brøndby as Ajax made it to the group stage. 2005–06 was a tougher season for Babel in general though as he managed only 2 league goals. He did however continue to feature for the national team, and scored his second goal against Italy in November. At the end of the season, Babel came on as a second-half substitute in Ajax's 2-1 victory over PSV in the Dutch Cup final.
Babel marked the start of 2006–07 with another Dutch Super Cup winners medal, as Ajax defeated PSV 3-1. Babel was linked with Arsenal and Newcastle United during the January transfer window of the 2006-07 season but no move materialised.[4][5] Amidst the transfer speculation, Babel agreed to a new three-year deal with Ajax on February 2, 2007.[2][6] In May, Babel got another Dutch Cup winners medal as Ajax successfully defended the title. The match against AZ went to a penalty shoot-out, but Babel was substituted off after 120 minutes.[7]
Liverpool
On July 10, 2007, it was reported that Liverpool F.C. had made a £13.5 million offer to the Amsterdam club.[8] On July 12 it was reported that Liverpool and Ajax agreed a fee in the region of £11.5 million, and later Liverpool confirmed that Babel would sign a 5 year contract on 13 July.[9] He was unveiled on July 13 with Yossi Benayoun. Babel was handed the number 19 shirt. He made his debut on July 17 against Werder Bremen in a friendly. He was due to play in the first round of the Barclays Asia Trophy 2007 but for a delay in the granting of international clearance. This was sorted out in time for the final against Portsmouth.[10]
He made his Premiership debut in the 2007/08 Premiership curtain raiser against Aston Villa away after coming on off the bench, impressing by going close twice and showing great vision and touch. A week later and he made his Anfield debut, coming off the bench against Chelsea and producing a world-class cross and a howitzer of a shot that went just wide. Babel plays as a right or left midfielder for Liverpool. Then, on the 1st of September, Babel scored his first goal for Liverpool against Derby County. In front of a proud home crowd, he kept cool enough to sell a well conceived 'dummy' to two defenders, before sending a luckless Derby goalkeeper into one corner and the ball into the other. Liverpool and Celtic legend Kenny Dalglish has said that Babel has the ability to terrorise defenders in the premiership with his pace and trickery with the ball.
International career
Babel took part in the 2005 FIFA U-20 World Cup. Babel scored two goals in four games as the Netherlands reached the quarter-finals. There they were defeated by Nigeria, 10-9 in a penalty shoot-out (Babel scored his penalty).[11]
In June 2007, Babel was part of the Netherlands under-21 team competing in the UEFA Under-21 Championship, being held in the Netherlands. In the group stage, Babel scored a penalty against Portugal, helping the Dutch to secure a semi-final spot and thus qualifying for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. His second tournament goal came during his man of the match performance in the final as the Netherlands defeated Serbia 4-1 to retain their title.[12]
Later that season, Babel made his international debut on March 26, 2005, away against Romania. He entered the game as a first-half substitute for Arjen Robben and went on to score the second goal in a 2-0 victory.[3] The goal made Babel the youngest goalscorer in 68 years for the Netherlands[3] and the fourth-youngest of all time.[13] Babel had been a first team regular with Ajax in 2004–05 and finished with 7 league goals in 20 appearances.
In 2006, Marco van Basten included Babel in the Dutch squad for 2006 FIFA World Cup. Babel only featured once though, as a second-half substitute for Ruud van Nistelrooy in the group match against Argentina.[14] Van Basten has been quoted as saying Babel "has all the potential to become the next Thierry Henry."[13]
Statistics
| Club | Season | Domestic League | Domestic Cups[15] | Continental games[16] | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| App | Goals | App | Goals | App | Goals | App | Goals | ||||
| Liverpool | 07-08 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 1 | ||
| Ajax | 06-07 | 27 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 37 | 7 | ||
| 05-06 | 25 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 35 | 4 | |||
| 04-05 | 20 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 24 | 8 | |||
| 03-04 | 1 | 0 | ? | ? | ? | ? | 1 | ? | |||
| Total | 73 | 14 | 6 | 0 | 18 | 5 | 97 | 19 | |||
| Career Totals | 73 | 14 | 6 | 0 | 19 | 5 | 97 | 19 | |||
| Last updated May 5, 2007[17][18] | |||||||||||
| # | Date | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | March 26, 2005 |  Romania |
2-0 | Won | WC 2006 Qual. | ||||||
| 2 | November 12, 2005 |  Italy |
1-3 | Loss | Friendly | ||||||
| 3 | June 1, 2006 |  Mexico |
2-1 | Won | Friendly | ||||||
| 4 | February 7, 2007 |  Russia |
4-1 | Won | Friendly | ||||||
| Last updated May 9, 2007[17] | |||||||||||
Career honours
Ajax
- Winner
- 2005 & 2006 Dutch Super Cup
- 2005-06 & 2006-07 Dutch Cup
Netherlands
References
- ^ a b c Template:Nl icon "Biography". Biography on www.ryanbabel.nl. Retrieved 2007-06-23.
- ^ a b "Extension for Ryan Babel". Report on ajax.nl. 2007-02-02. Retrieved 2007-05-07.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b c "Babel rewarding Van Basten's faith". Article on fifa.com. January 16, 2006. Retrieved July 11.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=and|date=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ Burt, Jason (2007-01-09). "West Ham in for Ljungberg as Arsenal line up Dutch star". Article in The Independent. Retrieved 2007-05-07.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ van Leeuwen, Gerrit (2007-01-18). "Babel catching Magpies' eye". Sky Sports. Retrieved 2007-05-07.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Ajax star wowed by Wenger". Sky Sports News. June 14, 2007.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Template:Nl icon "Ajax win cup in thriller". Article on knvb.nl (Dutch FA website). May 6, 2007. Retrieved July 11.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=and|date=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "Liverpool make improved Babel bid". BBC.co.uk. July 10, 2007.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Paul Eaton (July 12, 2007). "Babel set to sign on friday". LiverpoolFC.tv.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Reds reach Asia Trophy final". Article on Skysports.com. July 24, 2007. Retrieved June 30.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=and|date=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "Nigeria 1-1 Netherlands". Match report on fifa.com. Retrieved July 11.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Text "June 25, 2005" ignored (help) - ^ "Babel pays tribute to best vintage". Interview on uefa.com. June 25, 2007. Retrieved July 11.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=and|date=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ a b Burt, Jason (2007-01-27). "Gunners ready to snare Babel, 'the new Henry'". Article in The Independent. Retrieved 2007-05-07.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Netherlands 0-0 Argentina". Match report on fifa.com. June 21, 2006. Retrieved July 11.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=and|date=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ Counts for appearances and goals during the KNVB Cup
- ^ Counts for apareances and goals at the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Cup and UEFA Intertoto Cup.
- ^ a b "8 Ryan Babel". ESPN. 2007-05-07. Retrieved 2007-05-07.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Ryan Babel stats". Stats centre on guardian.co.uk. Retrieved July 11.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help)
External links
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