Former Liverpool winger Ryan Babel has angrily declared that Rafael Benitez did not allow him to reach his true potential at Anfield.

Babel made a bright start in the Premier League after signing for Liverpool in 2007, winning the club's young player of the year award in his debut season.

The Dutch forward suffered a dip in form and struggled to earn a regular first-team place during his four-year spell in England, eventually leaving for Hoffenheim last January.

Babel returned to Ajax during the summer on a free transfer and believes that he is ready to rediscover his best form back in Holland.

He told The Mirror: "I don't think people in England ever saw the best of me. For a player to really be at his best you have to give him a certain confidence, but I did not feel appreciated by some people at ­Liverpool.

"Rafa Benitez promised me a certain ­development, but very ­quickly he took away that promise and it was a totally different ­situation. I don't think I ever really played more than three games in a row.

"But I love Liverpool, I still have a house there. I love the fans and I have great memories of my time at the club. It was a very good learning ­process for me. Now, I am mentally stronger and I know how to deal with certain situations and different people. The people at Ajax see that."

The 25-year-old comes up against Manchester City this week when they travel to Amsterdam in the first match of a Champions League double header.