Former Liverpool player: Real Madrid wanted to sign me, but if I went to Spain I would only join Barcelona

This week, former Liverpool player Markus Babbel spoke with the Liverpool Echo and reflected on his time playing for Liverpool.

Before you joined Liverpool, there were reports that Real Madrid wanted to sign you.

"Yes, yes, Real Madrid wanted to sign me. It was quite interesting because at the time there was an agent who said: 'If you don't go somewhere else, go to Real Madrid, and I will give you one million dollars tomorrow.' I said: 'Oh, thank you very much, but Real Madrid was not the club I wanted.'"

"If I went to Spain, the only team I would join would be Barcelona, because I am a die-hard Barcelona fan. Real Madrid was never the club or team in my mind. They had the best players, but it was not the club I wanted."

"What was even funnier was that I was about to go to Liverpool to sign a new contract. At 6 a.m., the radio announced: 'Great news, Markus Babbel is joining Real Madrid!' At that moment, I was actually on my way to Manchester and then would drive to Liverpool to sign the contract. It was quite funny."

Do you feel regret about how your Liverpool career ended?

(In his first season at Liverpool, he won five trophies, but in his second season he was diagnosed with severe Guillain-Barre syndrome and eventually had to use a wheelchair. He worked hard to recover and returned to action in August 2002, but was never able to regain his previous form. He also had a conflict with then-manager Houllier and later left the club.)

"Yes, I do feel regret, but it has become a part of my life. After such a great first season, I felt sad. I always say, okay, the illness happened, you know, I cannot change it. That period was really difficult."

"Sometimes I think that if the illness had happened one year later, I might have been able to play another season for Liverpool. But it happened, and honestly, after that illness, I was no longer the same person. I don't know, maybe it was the same in England and Germany."

"Everyone says health is the most important thing, but people just say it. At that time, I was in a terrible situation. I was lying in bed thinking: 'I would give back all my money. I would give back all my titles. Most importantly, I hope I can become healthy again.'"

"I was lucky to overcome that serious illness. But I was no longer the same person, because I got divorced, my wife left England, and my children also left England. I was there alone at the time, and many things were happening in my mind."

"I was no longer myself. Then I often went out, drank heavily, and was no longer as professional as before. My lifestyle was no longer suitable for a professional footballer. That is why I had to leave the club and return to Germany first."

Did you stay in contact with Houllier afterward?

"Later, something good for me was that on the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster, there was a match at Liverpool's Anfield stadium, and I was invited to attend. The manager at the time was Houllier."

"I went to him and said: 'Boss, I completely understand everything you did. You were absolutely right at the time, and I was completely wrong. I'm sorry, but I was not in the right state of mind then. I had lost my way.'"

"So we had a good conversation at the time... This is a part of my life. Of course, I wish I could have played another season, or even two more seasons, for Liverpool. But after that illness, I was no longer the same person."