At 30, Babel is finally showing what all the fuss is about.
Remember Ryan Babel? Well now you don’t have to because, in one small corner of the continent, he’s still very much relevant.
Liverpool’s £11.5 million signing (BBC) may have only repaid the faith with 12 Premier League goals in four seasons at Anfield but he’s proving rather more valuable for Deportivo La Coruna at the moment.
Returning to a something resembling the big time after falling off the face of the earth in Turkey and the United Arab Emirates, Babel is earning his dough in a major European league four the first time in five seasons and making the most of it.
His goal in Depor’s 2-0 cruise against Osasuna at the weekend made it four in just five league appearances for the Galician club. Diego Tristan or Walter Pandiani he certainly ain’t but, at the moment, Babel is comfortably overshadowing Manchester City’s Colombian wonderkid Marlos Moreno.
Netting a long-range winner in an eye-catching cameo against Sporting Gijon, playing a starring role in the 5-1 thrashing of in-form Real Sociedad and grabbing the triple threat of goal, assist and Man of the Match award against Sevilla; it might be a stretch to say Babel is back but, at just 30, it’s not too late for a sudden career bloom.
In fact, only one midfielder in the whole of La Liga has a better goals per minute ratio than Babel this season, according to Opta. And that’s Barcelona’s Rafinha, a man who shares a pitch with Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta and Luis Suarez rather than, let’s say, Joselu.
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