BABEL: I CAN BE AN INSTANT HIT

Paul Eaton 20 July 2007 New signing Ryan Babel isn't anticipating any problems adapting to life in English football and is confident he can be an instant hit in the Barclays Premier League this season.

Babel - who is likely to get another first team run-out against Auxerre this afternoon - is hoping to prove himself as a regular first teamer over the course of the campaign but he acknowledges the fierce competition he faces to force his way into Rafael Benitez's plans. "I've said that my favourite position is as a striker and you could see from the game on Tuesday that there is a lot of competition for places up front here at Liverpool," said the Dutchman. "But there is always competition at each top club for any position, it was the same at Ajax, and it's not something that worries me. "My target for this season is mainly to keep learning, know about England, know about the Premier League and know about the game here. "The fact that there are other players coming in at the same time will probably help me too. "I know it's going to be difficult and it takes time for players to settle in, but I believe I have the quality to do that, pick things up quickly and show what I can do in England. "I'm still only 20 years of age and hopefully can get better, and with the likes of Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres here, it's impossible not to learn from such great players. That's one of the reasons I chose to come to Liverpool, many of the guys have a lot of experience and I want to pick up on that and improve my game. "I am settling in well and the boys in the squad have helped me a lot in the few days I've been here, especially Dirk. I know him from the Dutch national team and that is going to be important for me."