Babbel back from the brink

Babbel faces an early reunion with his Anfield boss just three weeks after he quit the Merseysiders to join Blackburn on loan.

But the former German international maintains he's not bitter about the way he was discarded by Houllier, even though the Kop chief publicly criticised his attitude in the Press last season as he battled back from a career-threatening illness.

When Babbel first arrived at Anfield on a free from Bayern Munich in June 2000 he could do little wrong in Houllier's eyes.

His form on the right hand side of a formidable Reds back-line was instrumental in the club winning five trophies in his debut season.

But things then started to turn sour for the 30-year-old when he was struck down by Guillain-Barre syndrome the following season -- a debilitating illness which attacks the nervous system.

Initially, it was feared he might not play again and he spent the next 12 months battling to combat the rare neurone condition with the full support of Liverpool and Houllier.

Thankfully, after months of painstaking rehabilitation, Babbel finally won his fight and the Reds boss welcomed him back into the fold with open arms and the offer of a brand new two-year contract.

However, his anticipated return to regular first team duty never materialised as cracks began to form in his relationship with Houllier.

The first sign of tension surfaced when Babbel ripped his shirt off in disgust after he was substituted before half-time in a league Cup tie against Aston Villa last December.

Houllier, clearly angered by such a public show of dissent, immediately banished the German to the reserves and that's where he languished for the rest of the season.

The pair then clashed again when Babbel was sent off twice in quick succession towards the end of that campaign, prompting Houllier to slam his attitude in the media.

From that point on a parting of the ways seemed inevitable, especially once Houllier splashed out £4 million for Fulham's Steve Finnan in the summer.

That's when Rovers boss Graeme Souness, ever the man for a shrewd piece of business, stepped in to hand Babbel a lifeline and now the German is determined to make the most of his second chance -- starting with a win at Liverpool's expense tomorrow.

"I'm not the type of person who always looks in the past, I prefer to look forward," said Babbel.

"I've managed to come back from a serious illness which makes me proud and now I'd like to do this for myself and not for anyone from Liverpool.

"I've come such a long way and this is the final step so I hope the manager gives me the chance to prove to myself that I can still do it at this level. That's the reason why I came to Blackburn.

"I had some great times at Liverpool. My first season there was unbelievable when we won five trophies.

"Then when I was very ill the support the club showed me was fantastic.

"But it got to the point where I needed to move because I just want to play football again.

"I played quite a few games for Liverpool in pre-season and I thought I did well but at the end of last season the boss said to me 'if you find a club, you can go.'

"He also said I could stay at Liverpool as well if I wanted but he made it clear it wasn't going to be easy for me to play again.

"So I started looking and Blackburn were there so now I'm here."

Babbel's return to the Premiership stage is remarkable when you consider what he's been through during the last two years.

At one stage, when the grip of the illness was at its tightest, the German was rendered so powerless that he didn't even have the strength to get out of his chair at the Munich Harlach Clinic, never mind contemplate kicking a football again.

"You can die from it if you don't react quickly enough," said Babbel, who had to undergo daily eight hour therapy sessions as part of his rehabilitation.

"All the muscles stop working and your nervous system is affected but I got seen by a doctor in time so my breathing was never affected.

"At its worst, I couldn't walk more than 10 metres. I could go to the toilet and back but that was about it.

"I had problems standing up if I'd been sitting in a chair. I didn't have the power to climb any stairs, and it just felt unbelievable.

"Afterwards, I went to a special rehab place with three or four other patients who were all the same.

"They were all on breathing machines and some guy had Pampers on because he couldn't control himself.

"So it's a serious illness and I was lucky. I went to the right doctor at the right time.

"It also helped that I was a professional footballer because I listened to the physiotherapists and did what they said, whereas some of the other patients had problems with their body. My age helped, too. So I was lucky."

That experience changed Babbel's whole outlook on life.

The breakdown in his relationship with Houllier was no doubt born out of his frustration at not being given the chance to prove himself in the Liverpool first team.

But now he's back on the big stage again and eager to enjoy every second of his renaissance with Rovers.

"I see things differently now. I've seen how quickly things can change so I appreciate things more now and I enjoy life more because who knows what tomorrow holds?" said Babbel, who won the German title three times with Bayern Munich.

"I'm so lucky to be able to play professional football in front of thirty, forty or fifty thousand people and get paid a lot of money for doing it.

"It's the best thing you can do."

As for the future, would a permanent move to Rovers appeal to a man who has tasted success with two of the biggest club sides in Europe?

"We will see. It depends how well I play. The important thing for me at the moment is to play football.

"I think I can help this team. From a fitness point of view, I feel like the old Markus Babbel who went to Liverpool in that first season. I feel confident and I feel well but I haven't played many games.

"However, I'm an experienced player, I think I'll be able to play three or four games, and then I'll be able to say I'm fully back."

Three points and a clean sheet against Michael Owen and Co tomorrow would do his talking for him.