Babel: How I'll repay Roy

Ryan Babel today revealed how Roy Hodgson has assured him he will get more playing time in his favoured striking position - and the Dutchman is determined to repay the boss by realising his full potential.

The 23-year-old believes the arrival of the new manager has presented him with a fresh opportunity to showcase his talents at Anfield.


It is a chance he is eager to grasp with both hands, though he is well aware training hard at Melwood is the first step on the road towards a regular first-team berth.

"It's clear when a new manager comes in, everyone's chances are equal again with others," Babel told Liverpoolfc.tv. "It is positive for me and maybe everybody who was in a difficult situation.

"I hope this is a chance for me to establish myself, but the first test for me is to work hard in every training session and try to show what I can do. In the end, it is the manager's decision if he uses me or not.

"I am very confident and positive - I feel well and have been training well. Hopefully it is just a matter of time before I can get some confidence back to finally show everybody what I can do."

Babel was deployed in his preferred position of striker by Hodgson in the first leg of last month's Europa League qualifier against Trabzonspor at Anfield - and he claimed the only goal of the game with a clinically-taken effort on the stroke of half-time.