Ryan Babel facts for kids
Babel playing for Kasımpaşa in 2014
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Ryan Guno Babel | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 19 December 1986 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Amsterdam, Netherlands | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Forward | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1992–1994 | SV Diemen | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1994–1997 | ASV Fortius | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1997–2004 | Ajax | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2007 | Ajax | 73 | (14) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2011 | Liverpool | 91 | (12) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2012 | 1899 Hoffenheim | 46 | (5) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2013 | Ajax | 16 | (4) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2015 | Kasımpaşa | 58 | (14) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2016 | Al Ain | 8 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016 | Deportivo La Coruña | 11 | (4) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2019 | Beşiktaş | 62 | (22) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019 | Fulham | 16 | (5) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2022 | Galatasaray | 77 | (15) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020 | → Ajax (loan) | 5 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022–2023 | Eyüpspor | 28 | (5) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2002–2003 | Netherlands U17 | 6 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2004 | Netherlands U19 | 6 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2005 | Netherlands U20 | 4 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2007 | Netherlands U21 | 5 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008 | Netherlands U23 | 5 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2021 | Netherlands | 69 | (10) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 21 August 2023 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23:04, 30 March 2021 (UTC) |
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Ryan Guno Babel (born December 19, 1986) is a famous Dutch former football player. He played as a forward, which means he was usually at the front of the team, trying to score goals.
Ryan started his football journey at Ajax in 1997. He moved up through their youth teams to the main squad. After three seasons with Ajax, he joined Liverpool in 2007. He later played for several clubs, including 1899 Hoffenheim in Germany and teams like Kasımpaşa, Beşiktaş, and Galatasaray in Turkey. He also had a short time with Fulham in England.
Babel also played for the Netherlands national team from 2005 to 2021. He represented his country at all youth levels too. He even played in two World Cups, reaching the final in 2010. He officially retired from football in November 2024.
Contents
Ryan Babel's Early Football Days
Ryan Babel was born in Amsterdam, a big city in the Netherlands. He was inspired by local football stars like Ruud Gullit and Frank Rijkaard. Ryan started playing for youth teams called S.V. Diemen and Fortius.
In 1997, he tried out for the famous Ajax youth academy. He passed the first tryout but didn't make it further that time. However, Ajax accepted him the next year, and he joined their D1 team for the 1999–2000 season. Ryan worked his way up through different youth teams. He signed his first professional contract in January 2004.
Playing for Top Clubs
Starting at Ajax
Ryan Babel made his first team debut for Ajax on February 1, 2004. He was just 17 years old! Ajax won that game 4–0 against ADO Den Haag. Ajax went on to win the Dutch league title that season.
Nine months later, in November 2004, Ryan scored his first goal for the senior team. It was in a big 5–0 win. In July 2005, he signed a new contract with Ajax. He helped Ajax win the Johan Cruyff Shield by scoring the winning goal against PSV Eindhoven. He also scored important goals in the UEFA Champions League qualifying rounds.
The 2005–06 season was a bit tougher for Ryan in terms of scoring goals. But he still played for the national team and scored against Italy. At the end of that season, he helped Ajax win the KNVB Cup final. In 2006–07, Ajax won the Johan Cruyff Shield again. Ryan was linked with moves to English clubs like Arsenal, but he stayed and signed a new deal with Ajax. He also won another Dutch Cup with Ajax that season.
Time at Liverpool
On July 10, 2007, Liverpool made an offer to sign Ryan Babel. A few days later, the clubs agreed on a fee, and Ryan signed a five-year contract with Liverpool. He was given the number 19 shirt.
Ryan made his first appearance for Liverpool in a friendly match. He then made his Premier League debut in August 2007. On September 1, Babel scored his first goal for Liverpool against Derby County. He also scored his first Champions League goals for Liverpool, scoring twice against Beşiktaş J.K. in November. He was a key player in Liverpool's Champions League journey that season, scoring important goals in the quarter-finals and semi-finals.
Many people praised Ryan's speed and skill. In September 2008, he scored the winning goal for Liverpool in a big 2–1 victory over Manchester United. He also scored in a 5–1 win against Newcastle United in December 2008.
In September 2009, Ryan came off the bench and set up a goal for Fernando Torres to win a game against West Ham. He scored two goals against Hull City later that month. In November 2009, he scored a great goal from 25 yards in a Champions League game against Lyon.
Ryan was known for using Twitter to talk with fans. In January 2011, he posted a funny picture of a referee in a rival team's shirt. This led to him being fined by the Football Association. On January 25, 2011, Ryan left Liverpool to join German club 1899 Hoffenheim.
Playing in Germany and Return to Ajax
Ryan Babel signed a two-and-a-half-year deal with 1899 Hoffenheim. He made his first appearance for them in January 2011. He scored his first goal for Hoffenheim in April 2011. In the 2011–12 season, he scored his first league goal in August 2011 and later scored two goals in a single game against Mainz 05. After playing for Hoffenheim for 18 months, he left the club in August 2012.
After leaving Hoffenheim, Ryan returned to his old club, Ajax, on a one-year deal. He wore the number 49 shirt, the same number he had when he first played for Ajax's senior team. He made his return debut for Ajax in September 2012, helping them win 2–0. He scored his first goal back at Ajax later that month. Despite a small injury, Ryan played 16 league matches and scored four goals. He also helped Ajax win their third league title in a row.
Later Career Moves
After his second time at Ajax, Ryan decided to join Turkish club Kasımpaşa. He then moved to Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates in July 2015. In December 2015, Ryan had some issues with the club and his use of social media.
In September 2016, Ryan joined Deportivo de La Coruña in Spain. He scored three goals in his first four games, helping his team move out of the relegation zone. In January 2017, Babel joined Beşiktaş in Turkey. He quickly became an important player, scoring 5 goals in 18 league games and helping Beşiktaş win their fifteenth league title.
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In January 2019, Ryan signed for Fulham in the Premier League. In June 2019, he moved back to Turkey to play for Galatasaray. He had a short loan spell back at Ajax in 2020 before returning to Galatasaray. He played for Galatasaray until his contract ended in July 2022. On July 29, 2022, Ryan joined another Turkish club, Eyüpspor. He announced his retirement from football on November 9, 2024.
Playing for the Netherlands
Ryan Babel was born in the Netherlands and has a background from Suriname. He played for the Netherlands in the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship. He scored two goals in four games as the team reached the quarter-finals.
He made his debut for the senior Netherlands national team on March 26, 2005, against Romania. He came on as a substitute and scored the second goal in a 2–0 win. This made him one of the youngest goalscorers ever for the Netherlands.
In 2006, Ryan was part of the Dutch squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Due to a knee injury, he only played in one game. The coach at the time, Marco van Basten, said that Ryan "has all the potential to become the next Thierry Henry".
In June 2007, Babel was part of the Netherlands under-21 team that won the 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship. He scored a penalty against Portugal and was named "man of the match" in the final, where the Netherlands beat Serbia 4–1. This win also helped the team qualify for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
Ryan was chosen for the UEFA Euro 2008 tournament, but sadly, he had to withdraw after tearing ankle ligaments during training. He was also part of the squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. The Netherlands reached the final, but Ryan did not play in any of the matches during the tournament.
After a long break, Ryan was called back to the national team in September 2017 for World Cup qualifiers. Even though the Netherlands didn't qualify for that tournament, Ryan continued to be called up for the new UEFA Nations League. He scored an important goal against France in the Netherlands' first Nations League match.
Career Statistics
Club Appearances and Goals
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Ajax | 2003–04 | Eredivisie | 1 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2004–05 | Eredivisie | 20 | 7 | 3 | 1 | — | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 9 | ||
| 2005–06 | Eredivisie | 25 | 2 | 3 | 2 | — | 11 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 40 | 7 | ||
| 2006–07 | Eredivisie | 27 | 5 | 4 | 0 | — | 7 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 39 | 7 | ||
| Total | 73 | 14 | 10 | 3 | — | 22 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 107 | 23 | |||
| Liverpool | 2007–08 | Premier League | 30 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 13 | 5 | — | 49 | 10 | |
| 2008–09 | Premier League | 27 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 1 | — | 42 | 4 | ||
| 2009–10 | Premier League | 25 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 2 | — | 38 | 6 | ||
| 2010–11 | Premier League | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | — | 17 | 2 | ||
| Total | 91 | 12 | 9 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 39 | 9 | — | 146 | 22 | |||
| 1899 Hoffenheim | 2010–11 | Bundesliga | 15 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 16 | 1 | |||
| 2011–12 | Bundesliga | 31 | 4 | 4 | 1 | — | — | — | 35 | 5 | ||||
| Total | 46 | 5 | 5 | 1 | — | — | — | 51 | 6 | |||||
| Ajax | 2012–13 | Eredivisie | 16 | 4 | 2 | 1 | — | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 5 | |
| Kasımpaşa | 2013–14 | Süper Lig | 29 | 5 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 30 | 5 | |||
| 2014–15 | Süper Lig | 29 | 9 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 29 | 9 | ||||
| Total | 58 | 14 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 59 | 14 | |||||
| Al-Ain | 2015–16 | UAE Pro League | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | — | 1 | 0 | 14 | 2 | |
| Deportivo La Coruña | 2016–17 | La Liga | 11 | 4 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 12 | 5 | |||
| Beşiktaş | 2016–17 | Süper Lig | 18 | 5 | 0 | 0 | — | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 8 | |
| 2017–18 | Süper Lig | 32 | 13 | 4 | 0 | — | 6 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 43 | 15 | ||
| 2018–19 | Süper Lig | 12 | 4 | 0 | 0 | — | 7 | 2 | — | 19 | 6 | |||
| Total | 62 | 22 | 4 | 0 | — | 19 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 86 | 29 | |||
| Fulham | 2018–19 | Premier League | 16 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 16 | 5 | ||
| Galatasaray | 2019–20 | Süper Lig | 15 | 5 | 0 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 20 | 5 | |
| 2020–21 | Süper Lig | 32 | 7 | 2 | 0 | — | 3 | 1 | — | 37 | 8 | |||
| 2021–22 | Süper Lig | 30 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | 13 | 1 | — | 43 | 4 | |||
| Total | 77 | 15 | 2 | 0 | — | 20 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 100 | 17 | |||
| Ajax (loan) | 2019–20 | Eredivisie | 5 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1 | |
| Eyüpspor | 2022–23 | TFF First League | 27 | 5 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 28 | 5 | |||
| Career total | 490 | 101 | 37 | 8 | 12 | 1 | 106 | 23 | 5 | 1 | 650 | 134 | ||
International Appearances and Goals
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | 2005 | 4 | 2 |
| 2006 | 7 | 1 | |
| 2007 | 10 | 1 | |
| 2008 | 8 | 1 | |
| 2009 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2010 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2011 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2012 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2014 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2015 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2016 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2017 | 4 | 1 | |
| 2018 | 8 | 2 | |
| 2019 | 9 | 2 | |
| 2020 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 69 | 10 | |
- As of match played 9 September 2019. Netherlands score listed first, score column indicates score after each Babel goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 26 March 2005 | Stadionul Giuleşti, Bucharest, Romania |  Romania |
2–0 | 2–0 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 2 | 12 November 2005 | Amsterdam Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands |  Italy |
1–0 | 1–3 | Friendly |
| 3 | 1 June 2006 | Philips Stadion, Eindhoven, Netherlands |  Mexico |
2–1 | 2–1 | Friendly |
| 4 | 7 February 2007 | Amsterdam Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands |  Russia |
1–0 | 4–1 | Friendly |
| 5 | 24 May 2008 | De Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands |  Ukraine |
3–0 | 3–0 | Friendly |
| 6 | 14 November 2017 | Arena Națională, Bucharest, Romania | Romania |
2–0 | 3–0 | Friendly |
| 7 | 26 March 2018 | Stade de Genève, Geneva, Switzerland |  Portugal |
2–0 | 3–0 | Friendly |
| 8 | 9 September 2018 | Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France |  France |
1–1 | 1–2 | 2018–19 UEFA Nations League A |
| 9 | 9 September 2019 | A. Le Coq Arena, Tallinn, Estonia |  Estonia |
1–0 | 4–0 | UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying |
| 10 | 2–0 |
Awards and Achievements
Ryan Babel has won many awards and titles throughout his football career:
Club Trophies
- Ajax
* Eredivisie (Dutch League): 2003–04, 2012–13 * KNVB Cup (Dutch Cup): 2005–06, 2006–07 * Johan Cruyff Shield (Dutch Super Cup): 2005, 2006
- Al Ain
* UAE Super Cup: 2015
- Beşiktaş
* Süper Lig (Turkish League): 2016–17
- Galatasaray
* Turkish Super Cup: 2019
International Achievements
- Netherlands U21
* UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship: 2007
- Netherlands
* FIFA World Cup runner-up: 2010 * UEFA Nations League runner-up: 2018–19
Individual Awards
- UEFA European Under-21 Championship Team of the Tournament: 2007
- Ajax Talent of the Year (Marco van Basten Award): 2006–07
See also
In Spanish: Ryan Babel para niños
