Fulham's Ryan Babel says Virgil van Dijk has a weakness – and only he knows it

Ryan Babel, Virgil van Dijk

Babel will face his compatriot at Craven Cottage on Sunday as Fulham aim to give themselves a glimmer of hope in the survival battle and dent Liverpool's title bid.

The Dutchman played at Anfield between 2007 and 2011 after joining from Ajax for £11.5m as a highly-rated 20-year-old.

Now 32, Babel hooked up with Fulham on a short-term contract in January and has played eight Premier League games for the Cottagers, scoring once.

The ex-Besiktas man lines up alongside Van Dijk for Holland – and thinks he knows a way to exploit the player many believe to be the world's best centre-back

"Virgil has definitely developed over the past few years," Babel told The Times. "I think he can get better by 30 per cent. I still feel he plays on 70 per cent. He can do much more. He can be fast if he wants.

"He does have a weakness, I don’t want to say what it is. I don’t think in the Premier League anyone has made that aware yet.”

In the same interview, Babel also admitted regret at the speed of his Liverpool departure which didn't allow him to bid farewell to Reds.

"I left Liverpool and people had to find out through the press, there was no goodbye, not even to my team-mates," he said. "I'm positive about getting applause on Sunday."

Joe Brewin

Joe was the Deputy Editor at FourFourTwo until 2022, having risen through the FFT academy and been on the brand since 2013 in various capacities. 

By weekend and frustrating midweek night he is a Leicester City fan, and in 2020 co-wrote the autobiography of former Foxes winger Matt Piper – subsequently listed for both the Telegraph and William Hill Sports Book of the Year awards.