Super Eagles and Fulham defender Calvin Bassey has opened up on a defining moment in his early career, admitting he came close to abandoning football altogether as a teenager.
Despite now being one of Nigeria’s most reliable defenders and a key Premier League performer, Bassey says his journey could easily have taken a very different path.
“If I didn’t get a club, I was going to quit”
Speaking in an interview relayed by Brila.net, the 25-year-old reflected on the pressure he placed on himself during his formative years.
“I remember being 15 and going into my final year, and I told myself that if I didn’t get a professional club, I would quit football. It was that simple,” he said.
“I would have just stopped pursuing it seriously and only played for fun. Thank God I eventually got a club, because I honestly don’t know where I would be otherwise. I would have played casually with my friends, but I wouldn’t have chased a career in it anymore.”
Bassey described that period as a personal “make-or-break” moment.
“Looking back, that moment was good for me. It felt like a point where I had to give everything. That’s the positive side of it,” he added.
“I would have been at peace either way, because at least I promised myself I would give it everything, and if it didn’t work out, then so be it.”
Bassey’s remarkable rise
Bassey’s path to professional football was far from straightforward. He failed numerous trials before finally earning a chance with Leicester City’s academy at the age of 15. He progressed through the club’s U-18 and U-23 sides but never made a senior appearance.
In June 2020, he signed a pre-contract with Rangers and made his professional debut two months later. His breakout campaign came in 2021/22, when he played a major role in Rangers’ run to the Europa League final, earning admiration across Europe.
His performances secured a high-profile move to Ajax in 2022 before he switched to Fulham in 2023. Under Marco Silva, Bassey quickly established himself as a defensive mainstay, later winning Fulham’s Player of the Season award.
As Nigeria head into the Africa Cup of Nations later this month, Bassey is expected to be one of the Super Eagles’ most important players.
