Gianni Zuiverloon prepares to dish out Anfield Rap

Nov 1 2008 by Andy Walker, Sunday Mercury

ALBION’S Gianni Zuiverloon is preparing to dish out his own Anfield rap next weekend when he faces his best pal and part-time musician Ryan Babel.

Tony Mowbray’s Baggies head to Liverpool on Saturday – a fixture Zuiverloon has been eagerly anticipating since his arrival at The Hawthorns.

Dutch duo Babel and Zuiverloon grew up together, played in the same Holland Under-21s side and still speak over the phone on a daily basis.

The Liverpool flyer also urged Zuiverloon to sign for Albion during the summer when Mowbray first made an approach to Heerenveen.

In fact the 21-year-olds are such good friends that Babel has even tried to involve Zuiverloon in some of his rap records!

Babel has written and recorded several of his own rap records that have been screened on Dutch TV and also proved to be internet video hits.

Having known his chum for almost ten years, Zuiverloon has always been aware of Babel’s love of rap music.

But there’s no danger of right-back Zuiverloon lighting up the airwaves of the Black Country any time soon as he admits he’s no lyrical master on the mic.

“I’ve known that Ryan Babel has been into his rapping for a long time,” said the former Feyenoord man.

“It’s always been something he wanted to do. I’ve heard many of his raps, one was with a radio station with a label and he also records a lot at home. He made a song with an artist in Holland, which was on TV.

“His music is quite popular in Holland, it’s just one of his hobbies besides football.

“I’m not interested in rapping.