my liverpool fc

Ryan Babel is relishing the prospect of playing alongside top players at Liverpool.

The Dutchman signed a five-year contract with Reds on Friday after Ajax accepted an offer of £11.5million.

Babel is now looking forward to fighting for a place in the Liverpool side and experiencing the atmosphere of Anfield.

He also hopes his versatility will allow him to play regularly.

"It feels very exciting. Liverpool are a big club," he said on Sky Sports News.

"My favourite position is striker but I can play a lot of positions.

"I think there are a lot of big players here and I am a young player, so for me it is important to learn from these players and it will make me a better player."

Babel was strongly linked with Arsenal earlier in the summer and he admits he did follow their games closely.

But he insists there was never any contact from The Gunners and never had to think twice about joining Liverpool.

Asked what Arsenal meant to him, Babel said: "Nothing: Arsenal are a beautiful club but Liverpool came first and I play for them now.

"If you play in Holland you watch a lot of English football and if there is a player you are very excited about, for example Thierry Henry, you are ultimately going to look at Arsenal.

"But if you look at a club who has interest in you are going to see they are also a great club, so it was an easy choice for me.

"The crowd, the trainer, the squad, great players, I think everything is exciting here."

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