Ryan Babel's big money move to Liverpool never quite went to plan as he struggled for regular game time under manager Rafa Benitez.
He scored 22 goals in 146 appearances for the Reds, but he's insisted issues with the former Liverpool boss prevented him from becoming a 'star' for the club.
Despite the disappointing spell on Merseyside and a testy relationship with Benitez, Babel has always maintained he loves the club, the fans and is grateful for his memories at Anfield.
To celebrate his 35th birthday this weekend, the ECHO takes a look back at his Anfield career and memorable moments.
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Signing for Liverpool
Babel spent four years on Merseyside and was considered one of the brightest young talents when he was signed by Benitez from Ajax in 2007.
The club spent £11.5 million on the Dutchman and he joined along with Fernando Torres and Yossi Benayoun that summer.
Babel was just 20 and became Liverpool's third most expensive signing at the time.
He later admitted he joined the Reds 'too soon' in his career, as he told The Guardian in 2019: “I’ve said in earlier interviews maybe I should have stayed one or two more years in Holland.
“I had been living with my parents so it was the first time living abroad and by myself. There are lot of things coming at you at the same time – different country, different culture.
"You’re basically by yourself and you have to make sure you deal with it as good as possible. That wasn’t always the case [with me].”
Falling out with Rafa
The majority of Babel's Liverpool career was spent under Benitez, although things never quite clicked with the Spaniard and the forward was eventually offloaded to Hoffenheim in 2011.
Dirk Kuyt was favoured up front, while Babel was often utilised out wide and often as a substitute.
He did, however, score some truly memorable goals against the likes of Derby, Lyon and Chelsea. His goal against the London club was labelled 'impossible' as he shot from 35 yards out in extra time of a Champions League semi-final second leg.
Babel never truly became a regular under Benitez and issues off the pitch with the former Liverpool boss didn't help matters.
He described his relationship with Benitez as 'weird' in another interview with The Guardian last month.
“It was, in my opinion, a weird relationship [with Benitez] because when he signed me I looked at him as the big uncle who wanted to give me a chance and help me succeed," he said.
"But then as we went on he left me totally on my own and only judged me for the things I didn’t do right instead of telling me how to solve or improve the things I had to improve.
"I was very young and I just needed guidance. I don’t want to blame the coach for me not having the ultimate career at Liverpool but I felt it could have been closer in terms of guidance and support."
Bizarreness of the Babelcopter
The infamous 'Babelcopter' is known as one of the oddest transfer deadline day stories.
Babel seemed to be determined to leave Liverpool in August 2010 after he had a move to Birmingham City turned down in the January transfer window.
Both Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham were rumoured to be interested in a late deal for the forward and he was spotted taking a London-bound helicopter ride that day.
However, no one say the helicopter land and he later posted on Twitter that he was “going nowhere” and he was “LFC all the way”.
To this day, nobody knows where the helicopter had taken him, or if he even boarded the flight in the first place.
Regardless, the Babelcopter saga is remembered by many as one of the most dramatic and craziest deadline day stories.
Releasing his autobiography … as a rap album
Babel released his 'autobiography' last month, which appears normal on the face of it.
But he released it in the form of an eight-track rap album written and performed by him.
He started working on the project during the first lockdown last year and it features songs looking back at his football career, as well as looking at issues such as racism within the sport.
After joining Hoffenheim from Liverpool in 2011, Babel later returned to Ajax and has spent time in Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.
He also had a short spell back in the Premier League with Fulham in 2019 and scored against Liverpool when they met in March that year.
