Liverpool attacker Ryan Babel has revealed that ‘small details’ have been making the difference.

The Dutch international joined the Reds in a £11m deal from Ajax in the summer, but failed to reproduce his stellar form in the first half of the season, but has looked much at ease as the season has progressed.

“I’m learning so much here and again I can see that it’s often the small details that make the difference,” he said in the Liverpool Daily Post.

“After a match we have to stand in an ice bath for five minutes. You can be affected with cramp or lactic acid, and that causes small tears in the muscles, but by applying cold water it repairs the damage immediately.

“During pre-season I had to do it after every training session and it was so cold, really horrible. In the beginning I could only suffer it for half a minute and sometimes I stood with my tracksuit and socks on or I tried slyly to miss it.

“Even during training I was thinking about the dreaded cold water, but now I’m used to it – and it certainly works as I’m more flexible and feeling a lot better the next day.”