Fulham added Ryan Babel to their squad in the winter market as the winger joined the Cottagers on a short-term deal from Besiktas.
Claudio Ranieri’s side are 19th in the Premier League table and in danger of being relegated to the Championship.
The Netherlands international gave an interview to Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf and explained that wanting to be selected for the national team was the reason he signed a six-month deal with Fulham, even though he had lucrative offers from elsewhere.
“With the choice for Fulham over the next six months, I will ensure that I remain in the picture with Oranje,” the former Liverpool man explained.
“My agent Winnie Haatrecht also had other offers for a lot of money in the famous distant countries, but together with him and my father, I had already decided to keep playing at the top level.
Since joining Besiktas in January 2017, Babel has had an instant impact and was part of the squad that helped his club win the title. During his time with them, he scored 22 goals and registered 11 assists in the Super Lig.
Ranieri and Fulham will be hoping the 32-year-old can replicate his Besiktas form in order to boost their chances of continuing in the Premier League beyond this season.
Should Babel play a key role in helping Fulham avoid the drop, he could make his case strong for inclusion in Koeman’s squad for the UEFA Nations League in the summer.
On his decision to join Fulham, he said: “I think it’s nice to be part of the Premier League again. The big challenge for me here in London is to keep Fulham at the highest level.”
“I thought carefully about whether I wanted it and if it was something for me. I had to decide quickly because Besiktas and Fulham quickly reached an agreement, but I weighed everything against each other and consciously opted for this.”
