Calvin Bassey: From a hell of season in Ajax to heavenly welcome in Fulham
It was one hell of a season for Calvin Bassey at Ajax Amsterdam.
When Bassey moved from Ranger at the close of the 2021/22 season he thought it was a dream move but it soon turned into a nightmare within a few weeks as fans, former players, and coaches criticized daily.
The constant criticism led to Bassey moving to Fulham this summer and his torture has been turned into joy and signing as Fulham are already celebrating him when he has not even played a minute in a competitive match.
Former legendary footballer turned pundit Adrian Clarke describes Bassey as “versatile, dual-purpose players are in demand this summer, so it no surprise that Bassey was a coveted player during this transfer window.”
The 23-year-old can play as a left-sided central defender, as a left-back, or as a left wing-back, so Fulham head coach Marco Silva will be delighted to have signed him.
Bassey joins from Ajax, where he featured six times in the UEFA Champions League last season, and he is a must-needed addition to a Cottagers squad that is currently light on available defenders.
He enjoyed a tremendous 2021/22 campaign for the Rangers and should feature in Silva’s first-choice starting XI as a left-sided center-back against Everton on the opening weekend.
Since leaving Leicester City three years ago, Bassey has been part of two possession-heavy teams that dominated against most of their opponents.
For Rangers and Ajax, he was consistently asked to play out from the back and look for progressive forward passes, often against rival sides who decided to press.
This aspect of his play has developed quickly, so Fulham have recruited a defender who will be comfortable with his distribution when put under pressure by opponents.
His passing accuracy over the past two seasons in all competitions has stayed between 83 and 91 percent.
Fulham only averaged 49 percent of possession in 2022/23, but during the Premier League Summer Series, they saw a lot more of the ball.
Displaying patience, they passed through the thirds with confidence across their three matches in the USA, pointing towards an approach that could be more possession-based in the season ahead.
Bassey fits that style of play well and as a left-footed player, he will also bring balance to Fulham’s defensive line.
When left-back Antonee Robinson is caught out of position, Fulham’s new recruit will not be fazed at all by the prospect of being pulled out to defend wide areas.
He may also cover the USA international at full-back when he is not available for selection.
Bassey’s key attributes as a central defender are his athleticism and strength in ground duels with opposition forwards.
The ex-Ajax player relishes physical contact and loves to get tight enough to make challenges.
While he did not feature as often as he would have liked in last season’s Eredivisie, Bassey did perform well in the UEFA Champions League.
The Nigeria international started all six group matches, and their two UEFA Europa League contests, winning a high percentage of his duels (63.4 percent) and tackles (71.4 percent).
His aggression, resilience, and recent big-match experience mean
he should be an asset to Fulham in the months ahead.
