Babel given Christmas deadline to save his Liverpool career

Ryan Babel has been warned he has until Christmas to save his Liverpool career.

Anfield boss Roy Hodgson wants the striker to prove him wrong, after almost selling the Dutchman in the summer transfer window.

But his lifeline will be short-lived if he doesn’t shape up, with the Reds manager making clear that Babel will be sold off with the ‘deadwood’ at the next opportunity unless he grasps his chance with both hands.

The £12million signing from Ajax has spent three frustrating years on the fringe of the team at Anfield, and it looked as if his career on Merseyside was over when he flew to London to discuss terms with both Spurs and West Ham on the final day of the transfer window.

But Hodgson revealed that he ultimately prevented Babel from leaving because he couldn’t find a replacement, and now the veteran boss has issued a stark challenge to his maverick forward.

“As far as I’m concerned it’s a chance now for Ryan to wipe the slate clean and show what he can do. It’s a fresh start for him,” Hodgson explained.

“There were offers for him, and I won’t pretend otherwise. We were prepared to let him speak to other clubs on that final day before the window closed. We said he could go if other things slotted into place.

“But they didn’t, and now he has the chance to convince me before January that he is a player who can slot into this Liverpool team.

“Over the coming months he has that opportunity to convince me, and he must also know that if he doesn’t do that then he will be allowed to go in the January transfer window.”

Hodgson tried hard to bring a striker in before the window closed, but admitted that he simply couldn’t find one that excited him, or looked better than those already at the club.

He argued yesterday that both Babel and David Ngog will be given opportunities to illustrate that they are capable of standing in for Fernando Torres, who will be given plenty of breaks this season.

After resting for his country in midweek, the Spanish striker returns tomorrow against Birmingham, where new signings Raul Meireles and Paul Konchesky will make their debuts.

But Hodgson explained that both replacement forwards will get plenty of games. “I’m not that disappointed not to bring in another striker because I don’t think there was a great choice of centre-forwards out there for any of the teams,” he said.

“It was only after the sale of Mascherano that it would have been possible for me to have the money available to do a transfer at a high enough level.

“The shortage of time bothered me and I would have been concerned we were jumping into something without researching it fully.

“Quite frankly I didn’t see the players out there that really excited me to spend the amount of money those players cost.

“I would prefer to put my weight behind David Ngog and Ryan Babel - who has never been given a proper chance at centre-forward - because we have Torres and good players who can play behind a lone striker.

“I will be using these players in some of the games in order to give Fernando the rest he needs and it will be up to them to prove to me there is no need for us to look further than them.

“They will get their chances and we will see if they take them but I am hoping between now and Christmas we will have ample quality and possibilities to see us through that period.”