We all know Premier League footballers live the high life; mansion exterior homes, car collections, expensive jewellery and downtime spent in the most exclusive locations.
Rarely, though, are we given a peek inside the places these players call home, aside from Shola Ameobi's early-2000s appearance on MTV Cribs (in which he declares his love for hats) or via footballers' carefully-curated Instagram posts.
That is why it piqued FourFourTwo's interest when ex-Liverpool attacker Ryan Babel shared photographs of his first home on Merseyside, having joined the Reds from AFC Ajax in 2007.
Ryan Babel selling £1.25m house he once rented out to nightmare Everton loanee
Babel was 21 years old at the time of his Anfield transfer and quickly settled in the north-west of England, purchasing a large house in the area - but as it turned out, the property deal wasn't without its complications.
He almost lost the £1.25 million house due to mortgage issues earlier this year, admitting as much on social media back in February, but that has all been resolved.
"After 18 years, I’ve finally cleaned up all the banking drama and the wild tenant stories that came with my very first property. The time has come to pass it on to its next lucky owner", the Dutchman wrote on social media this week, announcing that the house was back on the market.
"This house holds so many memories…it was the first place I moved into after leaving my parents’ home, full of excitement, mistakes, and lessons."
Babel spent four years at Liverpool, for whom he made 146 appearances, before going on to play for a whole host of clubs including Hoffenheim, Fulham, Besiktas and Galatasaray.
Throughout, Babel retained ownership of the Merseyside property, which he says he rented out to former Everton loanee Royston Drenthe.
The ex-Real Madrid man spent the 2011/12 season on loan at Goodison Park and has been playfully described by Babel as the 'tenant from hell'.
"When I left Liverpool, I rented it out to a few tenants… one of them being my good old Dutch teammate Royston Drenthe. Let’s just say he gave “tenant from hell” a new meaning", Babel added.
"He somehow forgot to pay rent during his Everton days and even decided to build a nightclub inside my house without permission. You can’t make this stuff up!"
My First Home in Liverpool 🔴After 18 years, I’ve finally cleaned up all the banking drama and the wild tenant stories that came with my very first property. The time has come to pass it on to its next lucky owner.This house holds so many memories…it was the first place I… pic.twitter.com/CuJViquCoVOctober 16, 2025
In the images Babel attached showing the house's interior and exterior, there is a large open-plan kitchen and dining area, as well as a sizeable driveway to the property.
Most interesting, however, is the inclusion of what appears to be a decorative reception desk, perhaps for the nightclub, with an 'R' embossed into the brickwork, which presumably stood for Ryan - or Royston - at one time.
"The only reason I’m selling now is because of that interest-only adjustable-rate mortgage I was talked into back when I knew absolutely nothing about real estate. Lesson learned the hard way!" Babel added.
"Whoever ends up with this house next…I hope it brings you just as much joy (and maybe fewer surprises) as it did me."
