Ryan Babel admits what scoring for Liverpool again made him realise | OneFootball

Liverpool fans have seen plenty of legends pull on the shirt again in recent years, but one moment at Stamford Bridge struck a different chord this weekend.

Ryan Babel’s late winner for Liverpool Legends against Chelsea Legends might have been a charity game, but for the Dutchman, it felt like much more.

Babel reminded of what representing Liverpool means

Picture via liverpoolfc.com

Speaking to liverpoolfc.com after the 1–0 win, Babel said: “It brought back a lot of memories. It’s not too long ago that I retired but still, it feels now like a long time.

“It brought so many memories of course – scoring and the dopamine of celebrating with teammates and fans. It was a good moment, for sure.”

The 38-year-old showed he hasn’t lost his composure in front of goal, reversing a crisp finish into the bottom corner before paying tribute to the late Diogo Jota with a shark celebration.

The emotional gesture capped off a moving afternoon where both sets of supporters united to honour Jota, Andre Silva, and Matt Beard before kick-off.

For Babel, it was a return to the ground where he famously scored in the Champions League semi-final second leg in 2008, but this time his strike secured another win for the Reds’ Legends, following their 2–0 triumph over Chelsea at Anfield in March.

Liverpool pride still burns bright in former Reds

Picture via @LFC on X

Babel, who spent three-and-a-half years at Anfield after joining from Ajax in 2007, added:

“You always want to be competitive. And once you are at it, especially such a game as Chelsea–Liverpool, you want to win and be competitive.”

It was clear that the Dutchman, who has publicly praised compatriot Ryan Gravenberch and made a bold Liverpool ballon D’or prediction recently, is still strongly connected to Anfield.

It was another reminder of the fierce rivalry that defines these two clubs, no matter the occasion.

With players like Yossi Benayoun, Martin Skrtel and Pepe Reina all back in red, the event showed that the connection between former players and the club remains as strong as ever.

As for the man himself, Ryan Babel’s words summed it up perfectly – no matter how long you’ve been away, scoring for Liverpool will always feel like coming home.

You can watch Slot’s post Chelsea press conference via Empire of the Kop on YouTube:

Join our channel of readers on WhatsApp to get the day’s top stories straight to your mobile