Ryan Babel describes himself as a Liverpool fan. He loves the city, he says, has friends and a house there. When he speaks of dreaming of playing Liverpool in the Champions League later this season, it is not through any desire for revenge nor a sense of making a point.

At the moment, well-placed as Liverpool are, they are not so well-placed as Babel’s Besiktas, who will qualify for the last 16 if they beat Monaco in Istanbul on Wednesday.

In a Champions League group stage that has been far less predictable than it often is, it’s Besiktas’s results that have stood out. They’ve won three out of three, playing smart counter-attacking football with a squad that boasts a wealth of European experience thanks to not only Babel but also the Portugual internationals Ricardo Quaresma and Pepe. “When the ball’s on the right we known Ricardo can cross so I always try to tuck in on time to join [the centre-forward] Cenk Tosun in the box,” he said. “On my side it’s a different type of creativity. I come inside, I go outside, I play together with my full-back.”

Champions League 2017/18 contenders Show all 15 1 /15 Champions League 2017/18 contenders Champions League 2017/18 contenders Champions League 2017/18 contenders Will any team be able to prevent Real Madrid winning the tournament for the third year in a row? Getty Images for UEFA Champions League 2017/18 contenders FC Basel Odds: 4500/1 AFP/Getty Images Champions League 2017/18 contenders Shakhtar Donetsk 100/1 Getty Images Champions League 2017/18 contenders Besiktas 5000/1 AFP/Getty Images Champions League 2017/18 contenders Sevilla 150/1 AFP/Getty Images Champions League 2017/18 contenders Roma 100/1 AFP/Getty Images Champions League 2017/18 contenders Chelsea 40/1 Getty Images Champions League 2017/18 contenders Tottenham Hotspur 16/1 AFP/Getty Images Champions League 2017/18 contenders Juventus 28/1 Getty Images Champions League 2017/18 contenders Liverpool 9/1 Liverpool FC via Getty Images Champions League 2017/18 contenders Manchester United 20/1 Getty Images Champions League 2017/18 contenders Real Madrid 4/1 Getty Images Champions League 2017/18 contenders Barcelona 5/1 AFP/Getty Images Champions League 2017/18 contenders Bayern Munich 9/2 Bongarts/Getty Images Champions League 2017/18 contenders Manchester City 3/1 (favourites) AFP/Getty Images

At 30, Babel has reluctantly come to accept that his position is on the left, even if he would still prefer to be playing through the middle. “If you see my record I’m not a stereotype killer striker,” he said. “I think this will be always against me and team won’t play me there, but I was brought up as a striker at the Ajax academy so I know what this position needs. I can also be the target man and the person who keeps hold of the ball so the rest of the team can breathe. All this I’ve learned over the years and I can do it still. But in the end you have to realise that the left is obviously the position where I’ve established my reputation.”

It’s an answer typical of the forward, who was given his debut by Ronald Koeman at Ajax at the age of 17 and joined Liverpool three years later. He is relaxed and reflective, happy in Istanbul and, seemingly, at peace with how his career has gone. Although he made 91 appearances over his four years at Anfield, only 31 of them were league starts. He never seemed entirely settled became an unfortunate symbol of the frustrations of the tail end of Rafa Benitez’s reign as the club struggled against the restrictions imposed by Tom Hicks and George Gillett’s ownership.

“It was difficult because when I was at Ajax I was living in my parents’ home,” Babel remembers. “This was my first time going abroad and also living by myself. The adaptation… every day was a new surprise. I soon figured that in the Premier League they call you a flop very quick.”

Tactically as well, Babel was entering a new world. “I was only used to 4-3-3,” he said. “For me as a left-winger you have also a left midfielder and a left-back behind you. But in a 4-4-2 you are basically also the left midfielder so you have to help more in defence and I wasn’t used to that. That was mostly the criticism I got, that they couldn’t trust me in defensive work.

Babel caught Liverpool's eye at Ajax (Getty)

"So I wish I just had more help to adapt and improve that. By the third year, fourth year it was too late and people called me lazy, all kinds of names.

“For a 20 year old the gap from Holland to England is massive. That’s a fact. Not all players are able to settle in directly from day one. I remember even Van Persie needed two, three years but he became Van Persie. The difference is I think Wenger actually helped him develop and gave him time.”

Babel was disappointed with how he developed under Benitez (AFP)

The disappointment with Benitez is clear. “He promised me certain things at this time to help me develop which I thought was the same as Ajax but at a different pace,” Babel said. “But from the start I felt basically left out, by myself, no help and that was of course very difficult for a 20 year old. I had really to become an adult very quick and adapt. It was up and down but at the same time I had a great experience there. I learnt a lot. When I look back I could have done things differently but at the same time I also think I could have got more guidance from the coaches.”

Babel has finally found a home in Turkey (AFP)

There’s no sense of bitterness, though. On the contrary, Babel seems at ease with both his past and his present. After two enjoyable years at Kasimpasa, he jumped at the chance to leave Deportivo La Coruna and return to Istanbul when he was offered a deal in January. “The people are very nice, very helpful,” he said.

“The first time I was introduced to the league I was very positively surprised about the quality of the stadiums, the pitches, the fans. Turkish people are very emotional, very passionate about football, really want to see their team do well.”