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Former Liverpool forward Ryan Babel is not afraid to admit his Reds career was full of ups and downs. An £11.5m signing from Ajax in the summer of 2007, he was regarded as one of the best talents of his generation. Yet his three and a half years at Anfield were far from plain sailing. 

The 37-year-old announced his retirement from football in November 2024 - nearly 14 years on from leaving Liverpool - and to mark the occasion, the Dutchman has released his own musical short film to mark the occasion on his own YouTube channel - ‘After the Whistle’.

Taking supporters on a football journey like no other, covering all the highs and lows with his own music and voiceover, ahead of the film’s release, Babel sat down with the ECHO’s Theo Squires to discuss his retirement and Reds career in full!

Previewing his unique film, the former forward offered a brutally honest take on his time at Anfield and difficult relationship with former manager Rafa Benitez in particular.

Meanwhile Babel also shared the story behind the ‘Babelcopter’ and his viral social media post about former referee Howard Webb, along with the inside story behind both his Anfield arrival and exit.

‘After the Whistle’ is out now on Babel’s YouTube channel.

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