Fulham manager Marco Silva has expressed satisfactions at the performances of Calvin Bassey at the club, referring to him as an important member of the squad, SportPremi reports.
The Super Eagles defender joined the Cottagers in a £19.3 million deal from Dutch club Ajax Amsterdam in the summer of 2023 and has upped his game to become one of the best performers at the club.
Despite initial doubts about his quality, the 25-year-old has proven his importance to Marco Silva, consistently delivering at both ends of the pitch.
Bassey proves importance to Fulham
When Calvin Bassey joined Fulham in July 2023, there were initial doubts about his ability, as he had only previously played at Rangers in the Scottish Premier League and Ajax Amsterdam in the Dutch Eredivisie.
However, the Nigerian superstar has shut down initial doubts, proving his importance to Marco Silva’s style of play.
Read this: Top 5 Nigerians with the Highest Appearances in EPL history
Top 5 African Players with the Most EPL appearances
He missed only three of the club’s 38 league matches last season, as they ended up in 11th position and earned the player of the season award for his remarkable performances.
In the current campaign, the Super Eagles defender has started seven of the club’s eight league matches. He was left out in a surprise inclusion against Arsenal last weekend, but came on in the final minutes of the encounter.
Silva hails Bassey’s impact at Fulham
Speaking ahead of Fulham’s clash with Newcastle United as they chase a return to winning ways following last week’s defeat, Marco Silva had a lot to say about the 25-year-old.
“Calvin had an amazing season last season; his season was at a top, top level. He’s a very good central defender — very strong and quick,” Silva said in his prematch press conference.
“He gives us, in some moments, different things than the others because he’s the most agile one, he’s the quickest one and very strong in the individual duels too.”
Silva also explained the decision to leave the Nigerian defender out of the lineup in last weekend’s match, a surprise decision to many.
“I knew that Cuenca is more than capable of doing the job, and that role is for him. Calvin was ten days out with the national team,” Marco Silva admitted.
“Normally, when they play with Nigeria, it is very difficult for them. They just arrived 48 hours before the game, it’s always difficult.”
Fulham continue their 2025/26 English Premier League campaign with a tough trip to St James Park to face Newcastle United, with Bassey expected to lead the defense once again.
