Former Liverpool winger Ryan Babel has put his £900,000 house up for sale after years of mortgage issues and a notorious tenant who turned it into a nightclub.
Former Liverpool forward Ryan Babel has listed his £900,000 home for sale after enduring nearly two decades of mortgage troubles and a nightmare tenant who transformed the property into a nightclub.
Babel, who bought the seven-bedroom house for £1.25 million, confirmed the sale on social media, revealing that he had finally resolved years of “banking drama and wild tenant stories.” He wrote, “My first home in Liverpool. After 18 years, I’ve finally cleaned up all the banking drama and the wild tenant stories that came with my very first property.”
The Dutch international explained that he initially purchased the home while playing for Liverpool, later renting it out to generate income. One of his tenants was former Everton player Royston Drenthe, who reportedly breached agreements and installed a nightclub without permission. “Let’s just say he gave ‘tenant from hell’ a new meaning… he even decided to build a nightclub inside my house without permission,” Babel said.
Babel added that his decision to sell came after struggles with an “interest-only adjustable-rate mortgage,” saying, “Lesson learned the hard way!”
The luxury property features a sauna, bar, swimming pool, cinema, and a “dance room” where the nightclub once stood. Babel, who played 146 times for Liverpool between 2007 and 2011, said he hopes the new owner enjoys the home “with fewer surprises.”