RYAN BABEL is ready to help fire Liverpool to Hamburg this evening and prove his Anfield doubters wrong.

Babel is on standby to fill the role of striker in tonight’s Europa League semi-final second leg at home to Atletico Madrid with fears persisting over the fitness of Dirk Kuyt and David Ngog.

Ngog is still struggling with the back injury suffered in Madrid last week while Kuyt has been undergoing intensive treatment on the calf problem that forced him off at Burnley on Sunday.

With Fernando Torres sidelined for the season, it means Liverpool could be without an available senior striker this evening as they aim to overturn a 1-0 deficit and book their place in the final at Hamburg on May 12.

But having netted when pushed up front in the 4-0 weekend win at Turf Moor, Babel is prepared to step into the breach this evening.

“I think it is nice to have that responsibility,” said the 23-year-old. “Obviously it means you can prove people wrong and try to be important. It brings more out of me, you know the team needs you and finds you important and that gives you a boost to show them you are important.

“That is a different feeling from if you're not. It’s not that I feel more a part of the team now. My first season was the best, and then I had two lesser years but definitely I learned a lot then and that makes me more mature in situations and that is good for the future.”

Babel began his career as a striker with Ajax before forging his reputation as a left winger, form that prompted Liverpool to splash out £11.5million on his services in July 2007.

And the Dutchman said: “As a youth player, I made my debut as a striker, played some games for Ajax as a striker, but in the end I had to move to the left because they bought Huntelaar. But in my head, it is clear I love to play there.

“When I made debut it was a bad season for Ajax and the season I had a lot of situations where I scored winning goals, so as a 17-year-old I went from nothing to being very important.

“That was a nice stage for me as a striker, that’s why I thought that’s what I want. Circumstances made me play as a left winger.

“I am realistic, have not been training as a striker for four years so if you cannot improve a position over the years you can’t switch on to it straightaway.

“It is a semi-final against Atletico, so it will be difficult but I will try and with the little knowledge I have I will try to work for the team.”

Babel admits he allowed himself to be affected by outside influences which ruined his game and almost forced him out of the club.

The Holland international was a bit-part player midway through the season and found an outlet for his frustrations through his personal Twitter page.