Super Eagles defender Calvin Bassey has opened up on the tactical difficulties that made his time at Ajax one of the most challenging periods of his career and explained how a return to English football with Fulham has allowed him to rediscover his best form.
Bassey moved to Amsterdam in the summer of 2022 after a standout season with Rangers, where his performances helped the Scottish club reach the UEFA Europa League final and win the Scottish Cup. Ajax paid a club-record £19.6 million (€23m) for the Nigerian, expecting him to fill the void left by Lisandro Martinez following the Argentine’s departure to Manchester United.
The transition, however, proved far more difficult than anticipated. With managers Alfred Schreuder and John Heitinga both struggling to steady the ship after Erik ten Hag’s exit, Bassey found himself exposed by the positional and technical demands of Dutch football. A red card just 17 minutes into his debut set an unfortunate tone, and public criticism from Dutch legends Wesley Sneijder and Marco van Basten over his technical level added to the pressure.
Now 26, Bassey says the tactical gap between British football and the Eredivisie was wider than anything he had previously encountered.
“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 return to England with Fulham in 2023 proved transformative. Under Portuguese coach Marco Silva, Bassey thrived in the more direct environment of the Premier League. He scored in a famous 2-1 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford in February 2024 during his debut season, before stepping up further the following campaign, starting 35 matches, improving his passing accuracy to 96 per cent and winning Fulham’s Player of the Season award. He recently celebrated his 100th appearance 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.”
The defender also credited his difficult spell in the Netherlands for shaping him into a more complete 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 see the Cottagers finish in the top half of the Premier League table.
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