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'Frustrated' Babel wants Liverpool stay

Ryan Babel has failed to nail down a first-team place at Liverpool © PA Photos

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Ryan Babel has said he hopes to prolong his stay at Liverpool and is enjoying life under Roy Hodgson after a difficult time with Rafael Benitez.

Babel, 23, moved to Anfield in 2007 but has never been able to fully establish himself as a first-team regular. He has regularly been linked with a move away and appeared close to leaving the club during the summer.

However, Hodgson has given the player a chance in a central role in recent weeks and Babel now hopes to finally show the fans what he is capable of.

"It doesn't annoy me that I always get asked about my future," he said. "It is not up to me whether I see my future here - it is up to Liverpool.

"This is my fourth season, so it is up to them what they do. I have one more year on my contract at the end of the season and I would like to stay. It has been frustrating here as a player but it has not changed my loyalty to the club.

"It is more about the manager. The club is fantastic but, if a manager does not like you, it is between you and him.

"The club is amazing and there are still a lot of fans who believe in me, so that gives me a goal, and things are different under Roy Hodgson. He does things differently. Maybe that suits me better.

"When he arrived, he was closer with the team - talking to players. Maybe that gives the players a boost to respond better. He is more involved day to day with the players. Under Rafa, the assistant managers took a lot of responsibility but that is different now.

"I hope this country has not seen the best of me yet. The maximum games I have played in a row is four and it is difficult for every player to find that consistency if you are not playing every week."

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