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Deportivo La Coruna forward Ryan Babel has said he was "badly coached" by former Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez. Asked about his Liverpool career, Babel, at La Liga side Depo, told AS: "I think I was badly coached. Neither the coach nor the technical team gave me good advice. "I was 20 when I arrived to the Premier League. When you are that age, people have to help you, talk to you. When I arrived, no one helped me. I was alone. It's difficult for any young player. Not everyone is [Lionel] Messi or [Cristiano] Ronaldo." Babel was signed by Benitez from Ajax for £11.5 million in the summer of 2007 but he struggled to hold down a regular place in the first team and realise his potential during his three-and-a-half-year spell at Anfield. The former Dutchman would go on to seek a fresh start with Bundesliga side Hoffenheim in January 2011 after scoring 22 goals in a total of 146 games for the Reds. Babel feels let down by Benitez and believes he could have shone had the Spaniard taken a similar approach that former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson took when dealing with Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo made 14 Premier League starts during his first season at United, in the 2003-04 campaign, while Babel started in 15 league games for Liverpool in his maiden campaign in England. "Even Ronaldo's first two years at Manchester were difficult," the 29-year-old forward said. "But [Sir] Alex Ferguson helped him. He was on top of him, he was able to grow up and now he is one of the best players in the world. "But had Ferguson not taken care of Ronaldo, he may not be the Ronaldo we know now. People talk about a new player as a fantastic talent, the new [Diego] Maradona... But before he can become the new Maradona, he needs advice and help. Young players need time to develop." Babel spent one and a half years at Hoffenheim before returning to Ajax, where he won the Eredivisie title in the 2012-13 campaign. He would go on to play at Turkish side Kasımpasa and at United Arab Emirates side Al-Ain before signing a contract with Depor on Sept. 15. "When I left Liverpool, I could have stayed in England," Babel said. "But I was happy to go to Germany and then to return to Ajax. "I then took decisions based on choosing teams where I would enjoy playing football. "To have arrived to La Liga is a dream come true." Babel, who is under contract with Depor until the end of the year, has made three La Liga appearances and he scored his first league goal in Depor's 2-1 home win over Sporting Gijon on Oct. 1.
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