Bassey talks about Ajax challenges and Fulham success

Super Eagles defender Calvin Bassey has shared his struggles at Ajax. He said that his time there was one of the hardest in his career. He also explained how joining Fulham in England helped him find his best form again.

Bassey moved to Amsterdam in the summer of 2022 after a great season with Rangers. His strong performances helped Rangers reach the UEFA Europa League final and win the Scottish Cup. Ajax paid a club-record £19.6 million (€23m) for him, hoping he would replace Lisandro Martinez after the Argentine moved to Manchester United.

But the change was tougher than he expected. With managers Alfred Schreuder and John Heitinga both struggling to keep things steady after Erik ten Hag left, Bassey faced challenges with the style of Dutch football. He got a red card just 17 minutes into his debut, which set a bad tone. Criticism from Dutch legends Wesley Sneijder and Marco van Basten about his skills made things even harder for him.

Now 26, Bassey says the difference between British football and the Eredivisie was greater than he had ever faced before.

"It was the tactical aspect of understanding where you need to be and knowing where your next pass is going," Bassey explained. "In England, full-backs normally stay on the sideline. At Ajax, a full-back plays more like a number six in possession, or he moves as soon as you receive the ball. So if you understand it tactically and know where your next pass needs to go, it becomes easier.

"If my first touch was to the outside, which was natural for me because I expect the full-backs to be there, my passing lane was immediately blocked, because the full-back at Ajax can cut inside."

His move back to England with Fulham in 2023 was a game changer. Under Portuguese coach Marco Silva, Bassey excelled in the more direct style of the Premier League. He scored in a memorable 2-1 win against Manchester United at Old Trafford in February 2024 during his first season. He improved further the next season, starting 35 matches, raising his passing accuracy to 96 percent and winning Fulham's Player of the Season award. He recently marked his 100th match for the club in a 1-1 draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers.

"The English league is easier for me because I am used to English football," Bassey said. "Many managers come from abroad, mine is Portuguese, but it is the system I am familiar with. What you do at Ajax takes time. Players who were new needed more time to adapt. When you are young, and at that time I was 21 or 22, I might have needed another season to settle in. Just like in England. I needed a year there to settle in as well. After that, I played most of the matches and became Player of the Year at the club."

Bassey also said that his tough time in the Netherlands helped him become a better player.

"I feel like I understand the game more, but that is clearly due to the experience you gain," he said. "The only way to know you are doing something wrong is to simply do it wrong. But it is also about the mentality. You have to be willing to make mistakes so that you can improve."

A Fulham win against Newcastle United on Sunday could help them finish in the top half of the Premier League table.