Thursday 19 February 2015 10:39, UK
As Demba Ba prepares to return to Anfield for Besiktas’ Europa League last-32 clash with Liverpool, we take a look at how the striker's stock has risen since his last match on Merseyside.
If time really is the best healer, then the return of Demba Ba to Anfield this Thursday evening might come far too soon for most Liverpool fans.
Less than a year has passed since Ba was last seen on Merseyside, wrecking Liverpool’s titles hopes by capitalising on Steven Gerrard’s infamous slip.
It was a goal that changed the course of the Premier League season, but did not change Ba’s future.
Despite Jose Mourinho’s effusive praise of the striker after the win – "Demba was a giant - holding the ball, fighting strong defenders, waiting for support. He was fantastic" – and Ba’s claim that Mourinho asked him to stay at Stamford Bridge, he was sold to Besiktas in July.
Only a year earlier, Mourinho had refused to sell the striker to Arsenal as he feared it would make the Gunners title contenders.
Had he hit the ground running for Arsenal as he has for Besiktas then that may well have rung true.
With 19 goals in 22 starts, Ba has not only helped Besiktas top the Turkish Super Lig and finish ahead of Tottenham Hotspur in their Europa League group, but he has proved himself as one of the most prolific strikers in Europe.
That probably doesn’t come as a great surprise to Beskitas head coach Slaven Bilic, who said shortly after signing Ba: “He is a team player, a great centre forward and we are happy he is in our team. We are expecting big things and he is going to deliver it, definitely.”
Bilic wasn't wrong. After being greeted by hundreds of fans on his arrival in Istanbul, it didn’t take Ba long to get down to business as he scored a hat-trick on his first start for the club in Champions League qualifying against Feyenoord.
The goals have continued to flow since and even when he has suffered injury setbacks he has come back just as strong.
After scoring the equaliser in the 1-1 Europa League draw at Spurs, Bilic labelled Ba ‘different class’, and he heads into the last-32 clash against Liverpool on the back of five goals in his last five games.
As the spearhead of the Besiktas attack, Ba, a practicing Muslim, is without doubt the main man in Istanbul and has already turned down moves back to the Premier League to remain in Turkey.
“For the first time in a long time I feel at home at a club, we have a great atmosphere,” he said. “There is a great friendship in the team and Istanbul is a beautiful city.
“People who think I might be tempted to move to another club must be crazy, but I’m not.”
And why would Ba leave Besiktas?
He is on course to win the first title of his career, has already surpassed his season-best tally and still has a shot at Europa League success if he can help fire past Besiktas past Liverpool.
Brendan Rodgers has downplayed his return to Anfield, insisting it won't "stimulate any bad memories", while Ba himself has said he was just doing his job in April and is looking forward to a 'fun' trip to Liverpool.
It certainly wasn't fun for the Turkish side the last time they visited as they were thrashed 8-0 in 2007 - the heaviest defeat ever suffered by any team in the competition.
But then seeing Ba back at Anfield is unlikely to be much fun for any Liverpool fans either, especially if he continues his brilliant goalscoring form.
"I did my job against Liverpool last season...I did what I had to and hope to do the same this time around.”
