Former Liverpool star has dig at former managers; raves about Klopp

Former Liverpool winger Ryan Babel has admitted that he regrets that he was not managed by Jurgen Klopp during his time at Anfield.

Babel spent four years with the Reds, after being signed by Rafael Benitez in 2007, and scored 22 goals in 146 appearances for the club.

As well as being managed by Benitez, Babel also worked under Roy Hodgson and Kenny Dalglish during his spell at Anfield.

Now with Turkish giants Besiktas, the 30-year-old has admitted that he wished he had been managed by Klopp on Merseyside.

“Liverpool is my club,” he told Sky Sports. “I try to follow every game. I still support them, I wish them all the best.

“Judging from the outside I think the current Liverpool manager definitely seems to work with his players and try to improve them.

“I think the 20-year-old me from that time, if I could have been managed under Jurgen Klopp, I’d have benefitted.

“As far as I can judge, English football is not for everybody. You need to have the lungs for it, you need to have the strength for it. That applies to me also, at this point I don’t think I could survive in any team if it’s not for my game.

“I liked mostly to play football on the ground and have a little bit of playing tactics rather than just up and down, long balls and second balls. That’s not really my game.

“If there isn’t a team that plays my type of game I don’t think I could make a big difference. I have to be realistic.”