Babel joined The Reds for £11.5million over the summer but has so far showed only glimpses of his talent.

"We must not forget that Ryan is 20 years old, he has come from another country and another style of football," Benitez told the Liverpool Echo.

"In Holland he was playing as a winger in a 4-3-3 and with the Dutch national team he was a striker, so for him it is difficult to understand everything.

"But he is working hard and trying to learn.

"Against Cardiff I decided to use him as a striker because I thought it could be good for his confidence and he did okay with Peter Crouch.

"It is the same with Lucas Leiva and Sebastian Leto, they are young players and they need time."

Benitez admits he moved for Babel because he felt he could bring an extra dimension to Liverpool's attacking play.

"Ryan's ability to beat players was what impressed me most - he is very good at that," said the Reds boss.

"He likes to dribble and he likes to shoot. He has pace and power and he knows how to use his strengths and he will be important for us in the future."