Former Liverpool winger Ryan Babel believes that Mario Balotelli needs to be treated differently to the rest of his teammates to fully harness the Italian's ability.

The Azzurri international has struggled to make an impact for the Reds since his £16m move from AC Milan in the summer, and is yet to find the target in the Premier League.

However, Babel, who played for the Anfield side from 2007 to 2011, thinks that the club should review their stance on how to get the most out of the striker, and cited his own time on Merseyside as an example of where they are going wrong.

He told talkSPORT: "People think every player should be treated the same, but sometimes you have exceptional players who need a different approach to get the best out of them, and that is Mario.

"I don't know him personally, but judging from the outside he should have different support. We know he has potential and is a good player. He has shown that before at other teams.

"If I look at myself, people said in the past I didn't show [my best form] every week. I also felt I didn't really have the optimum support to get the best out of me, so I think maybe it's the same with Mario. But I still believe in his quality."

Balotelli has scored twice for the Reds since the switch from his homeland.