Ryan Babel revelled in a “dream moment” as his injury-time strike earned Deportivo La Coruna a 2-1 victory over Sporting Gijon in La Liga on Saturday.
Babel’s long-range drive in the second minute of added time secured Depor their first win since the first matchday of the season, the former Liverpool and Netherlands attacker having arrived at Riazor on a free transfer in mid-September.
“These are the moments that every player dreams of,” he said after the game.
“I guess last night was my night. The most important thing was the three points and that was our objective. We reached it and it was wonderful.
“[The win] came in added time at the end of the match. We were pressing late on. Once you receive the prize for your goal, you simply feel relief.
“I wanted to celebrate with the whole team, so I ran to the bench.
“Everyone’s now saying, ‘oh, Ryan Babel’s back’, but basically I never went away. Obviously I played for other teams and clubs where I had less attention, but at these teams I gave 100 percent and felt I accomplished something in those teams.
“But of course I’m aware that many people haven’t seen me for a few years and it’s a nice thing to surprise people by showing them that I can still play.
“I didn’t want to go too quickly so I’d avoid injury, but the last two games have been a step forward.
“You can never predict the future, but my dream was always to play in La Liga and I want to achieve great things while I’m here.
“Before I scored, the fans were supporting us, especially from the stands behind the goal where I scored.
“Those fans reminded me of the support I received at Liverpool. During the good and bad times, they maintained their support and did everything to get us going.”
