Calvin Bassey Return to England Heightens

If reports coming out of England is anything to go by, Nigerian defender, Calvin Bassey may be making a return to the Premier League barely a year and a half after he left Leicester City for Scottish giants, Glasgow Rangers

West Ham United are reportedly keeping tabs on Rangers defender, Calvin Bassey following a failed move in 2020.
The Hammers were keen on the 22-year-old previously before the versatile left-back opted to move to a then Steven Gerrard managed Rangers.
However, it would appear that the interest hasn’t dwindled in East London and the Irons could return for the Nigerian ace.

West Ham are, according to Football Insider, ready to rekindle their interest in Bassey, having missed out to Rangers in 2020.
The report claims that West Ham have Bassey ‘on their radar ahead of the summer’ as David Moyes goes in search of a left-footed defender once more.

This season Bassey described as a ‘rough diamond’ by former manager, Steven Gerrard has provided three assists in 28 appearances across all competitions.

Valued at £900,000 and under contract at Ibrox until 2024, signing the Italy-born starlet would be an affordable venture for the Hammers.
Equally adept playing as a centre-back or left-back, it’s easy to understand why Moyes would be endeared by the prospect of signing Bassey.
Having been on the lookout for a fresh face to act as an understudy to Aaron Cresswell as well as a long-term replacement, the Nigerian qualified youngster could fit the bill.

In Rangers game against arch rival, Bassey put up a lacklustre performance culminating Sky Sports pundit James McFadden slamming the Super Eagles invitee for almost gifting Hearts a goal.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s men dominated the first half but straight after the break, the Gers were all over the place; Bassey, in particular.

“The 22-year-old left-back went to head the ball back to goalkeeper Allan McGregor but was woefully short and intercepted by Cammy Devlin.
“Luckily for the Light Blues, Devlin’s effort was poor but that didn’t stop Bassey from avoiding McFadden’s criticism.
Speaking on Sky Sports Football the ex-Scotland international said: “It’s a huge let-off.
He added: “It’s a shocking error by Calvin Bassey and he gets away with it.

“Devlin has got time, as well.
If Rangers have learned anything from the last couple of games, it should have become very clear that the club needs to strengthen their left-back options in the summer transfer window.

Bassey was moved into his natural left-back role as Leon Balogun returned at centre-back but it was by no means a solid display by the ex-Leciester left-back.
Bassey was poor in possession, in our eyes. He wasn’t exactly a threat when he attacked with Ryan Kent, who had a lot of work to do by himself on the left-wing.

Bassey was also dodgy at the back- he never looked that comfortable.
It’s been a while since Bassey has played at left-back from the off so we’ll give him a bit of lee-way. But we’d rather the club sold Barisic in the summer and leave Bassey as a back-up.”
The Italian-born defender has been a member of the Midlands club’s academy for quite a while now, and at 21, has the perfect mix of ability and potential to make an impact at the Ibrox Stadium.

Former Rangers manager Steven Gerrard had a lot of nice things to say about him.
He said on the club website, “There was a lot of clubs interested in Calvin and for us it’s pleasing to secure the services of another young talent. He’s a strong and dynamic athlete who is very much the modern-day full-back. He will develop further and we are excited to have made another strong addition to our group. We continue to look ahead to next season and Calvin is another positive addition as we continue to build the strength and depth of our squad.”

The 22-year-old left-back was promoted to the Foxes’ Premier League 2 side back in the summer of 2018, after which he’s become a regular in their academy team. Although he did miss the odd game along the way, the talent that Bassey possessed was apparent to see from day one. The defender had a fairly important part to play in the team this season as well, as the Foxes find themselves in second place on the PL2 table, just three points off an unbeaten Chelsea side at the summit.

Altogether, the youngster played in a little under 100 fixtures for the Foxes youth teams across various levels, which included four outings in the UEFA Youth League back in the 16/17 campaign, he was never in much limelight for some reason.
Since the 16/17 campaign, the defender’s stock has consistently been on the rise, and he’s deservedly received a proportionate increase in his playing time as well. Two seasons with the U-18 side were enough for Steve Beaglehole to call the speedster up to the U-23 setup, after which he’s gone on to respectively play 13 and 16 fixtures in PL2 over the last two seasons.

The wing-back’s ability to perfectly balance defending and attacking is arguably what has tempted the Gers to make a move for him this summer. Although Gerrard has described him as a proper modern-day full-back, it’s worth considering that Bassey doesn’t bombard forward at every possible instance. The youngster seems to have a strong understanding of what’s required in each varying situation, and this defensive awareness is a real asset to have in football these days.

The Ibrox acquisition is a physically strong player who isn’t afraid to use brute force to win the ball back when solid positioning and general observation just won’t do. Physically strong and well-aware of his skill-set, Bassey is among a rare breed of defenders who isn’t desperate to win the ball back and is comfortable just ensuring that any avenues into the box are well covered. The 22-year-old’s height and stature make him a strong presence in the box while defending against set-piece situations as well.
Although the youngster doesn’t necessarily overlap on every opportunity he gets, when he does go forward, the Leicester man usually ensures that he provides the desired effect. A good crosser from wide, Bassey is sure to provide good cover in a position that had been a concern for the Rangers over the last couple of seasons.