Ryan Babel, Dutch footballer
Ryan Guno Babel (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈrɑjɐn ˈbaːbəl]; born 19 December 1986) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays for Turkish Süper Lig club Galatasaray, and the Netherlands national team. He can play as a striker or left winger.
Babel began his career at Ajax in 1998, working his way up through the youth team and into the senior squad. He played three seasons for the first team before he was transferred to Liverpool in mid-2007, where under three successive managers he failed to secure a regular first team position. Babel was sold to 1899 Hoffenheim in January 2011, for a sum around half of that which Liverpool paid for him. His time at Hoffenheim was marred with disciplinary problems with three managers at the club. In the summer of 2012, Babel bought out the remaining final year of his contract, making him a free agent, and re-signed a one-year contract with Ajax. He then played for Kasımpaşa, Beşiktaş and Galatasaray in Turkey, Al Ain of the United Arab Emirates, Deportivo La Coruña and brief returns to the Premier League with Fulham and a loan to Ajax.
Babel has been part of the Netherlands national team since 2005, and has represented his country at all youth team levels. He played in two World Cups, 2006 and 2010, reaching the final of the latter.