RYAN BABEL has hit back at claims he gave an interview to The Sun.

Liverpool fans reacted angrily when the newspaper printed an ‘exclusive’ with the Dutchman ahead of the Champions League game against Debrecen a fortnight ago.

The interview included quotes from Babel in which he criticised manager Rafa Benitez and some of his team-mates while suggesting he may have to seek a January transfer window move away from Anfield to keep alive his hopes of joining Holland at next summer’s World Cup.

It now emerges that The Sun lifted the quotes from a Dutch magazine whom Babel had spoken to a month before they were re-printed as exclusive in the English newspaper.

Babel admits giving an interview to Voetbal International when he was on international duty early in November but claims he has been misrepresented.

He said: “I was very disappointed when it came out because I never gave an interview in England. I never gave an interview to The Sun.

“I did give an interview in Holland a month ago when I was with the national team, and I think they took some bits out of it and added some of their own opinions.

“They wrote that I’d talked about other players.

“I would never talk about players like that.”

He added: “It has to be made clear.

“Who published this? The Sun? I wouldn’t talk to The Sun.”

The Sun caused a stir by publishing the interview on the morning of Liverpool’s crunch Champions League Group E clash with Debrecen.

Benitez was said to be unhappy with its timing but, with Babel ruled out of the trip after limping out of the 2-2 draw with Manchester City at Anfield four days earlier, the Liverpool manager had to wait until he returned to Merseyside to seek an explanation from the player.

Babel reveals that clear the air talks have now taken place with Benitez and his team-mates.