Ryan Babel at Paris Fashion Week
Babel attended Paris Fashion Week earlier this year(Image: Pierre Suu/Getty Images)
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Ryan Babel has embarked on several new ventures since hanging up his boots in 2024. The former Liverpool winger has channelled his creative energy into both the fashion and music worlds.
Once a highly-rated graduate of Ajax's renowned academy, Babel signed with Rafa Benitez's side for £11.5million in 2007. A substantial fee for the then-20-year-old, he racked up 146 appearances and netted 22 goals during his three-and-a-half years on Merseyside.
Following his departure, Babel had stints in Germany, Spain, Turkey, England, the United Arab Emirates and the Netherlands before retiring at 37 in 2024. Given his colourful career, a move into management wouldn't have been a surprise; yet the ex-Liverpool forward has opted for a far more unconventional path in retirement.
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"Throughout my career, I've been involved in various ventures. For a long time, I've been part of the music business," Babel told the Liverpool ECHO on behalf of SeatPick - the leading platform for Liverpool tickets. "I have artists mostly in Los Angeles, one in Amsterdam, and a producer in the UK.
"Music has always been a part of me, I enjoy it. While it may not always be a great business decision in terms of return on investment, it started as a hobby and grew into a business that I loved managing during my spare time.
"Outside of music, I also run an agency in Paris that operates in the fashion industry. We focus primarily on athletes interested in fashion, helping them build relationships with brands, organise fashion weeks, and handle rebranding or social media strategies.
Ryan Babel at Paris Fashion Week
Babel attended Paris Fashion Week earlier this year(Image: Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)
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"These are just some of the ventures I'm involved in. Right now, I'm enjoying exploring things I wasn't able to during my playing career.
"As for coaching? Maybe in the future, but mentally I'm not there yet. Since retiring, I've occasionally run training sessions for under-16 or under-14 players. It feels nice to help and guide them as they improve. That passion is still there, but I'll never say never."
His stint at Liverpool drew to a close when he was offloaded to Hoffenheim in January 2011. That particular transfer window is best remembered for the club's stunning choice to sell Fernando Torres to Chelsea and draft in replacement strikers Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez on deadline day.
Ryan Babel of Liverpool
Babel arrived at Liverpool as a highly-rated Ajax prospect (Image: PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images)
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Leaving Liverpool without lifting any silverware, Babel was notably part of the team that finished Premier League runners-up in 2009. On the international stage, the winger was also included in the Netherlands squad that reached the 2010 World Cup final.
Babel subsequently returned to Ajax and enjoyed stints with Kasimpasa, UAE side Al-Ain and Deportivo La Coruna before recapturing his best form at Besiktas. This sparked a short-lived comeback to the Premier League with Fulham in 2019, before he moved on to Galatasaray and a third chapter at Ajax.
He brought the curtain down on his playing career in the Turkish second division with Eyupspor in 2023, formally announcing his retirement over a year later. Yet few could have anticipated that Babel would completely change professions and begin carving out a name for himself in the worlds of music and fashion.
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