Bassey played his best game since leaving Rangers against Nottingham Forest

Fulham picked up their first clean sheet in eight Premier League games against Nottingham Forest on Wednesday and it’s no coincidence that much-improved defensive display came after Marco Silva handed Calvin Bassey a rare start in his favoured position.

Moving from the right to the left of Silva’s back four, the £19 million summer signing from Ajax produced perhaps his finest performance since leaving Rangers in the aftermath of that painful Europa League final defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt in 2022.

In truth, Calvin Bassey always felt like an awkward fit alongside fellow southpaw Tim Ream on the right-hand side, limiting his passing angles and forcing the Nigeria international onto his weaker foot. But with 36-year-old Ream rested for Forest’s trip to Craven Cottage, Bassey shifted over to accommodate the right-sided Tosin Adarabioyo.

And, on last night’s evidence, Ream may be hard-pressed attempting to force his way back in.

Not only did Bassey and Tosin render Divock Orogi little more than a frustrated spectator, but this new-look defensive partnership provided the platform for a crushing 5-0 Fulham win, ensuring that a side who had conceded nine goals in their previous three games emerged with a sheet so clean it would not look out of place in a Daz advert.

“Bassey looked a lot more comfortable on the ball in a much more natural starting position for him on the left-hand side,” was the assessment of fan site Fulhamish, a pass completion rate of 93 percent a vast improvement of his previous numbers.

“The combination of strength, speed, and on-the-ball ability between both Tosin and Bassey may make them a really promising pairing going forward.”

Bassey, who joined Rangers for £230,000 and departed for £20 million just one year later, has endured a rather miserable time since bidding farewell to life at Ibrox. Like many of Ajax’s reason signings, the Nigeria international struggled to live up to his expensive price tag. A difficult start at Fulham, meanwhile, meant that Bassey found himself once again having to justify a transfer fee which raised many an eyebrow.

But if Fulham’s five-goal showing against Nottingham Forest spelled the beginning of the end for visiting coach Steve Cooper, a stand-out display in his favoured position could be the start of something special for Calvin Bassey.