Calvin Bassey has opened up on his Ajax struggles and admits he hasn't been able to escape being affected by heavy criticism.
The former Rangers standout defender made what he labelled a 'dream' move the Dutch giants for a club record fee in the summer of 2022. A then Gio Van Bronckhorst side netted a cool £22million package for the Nigerian international after a notable campaign for the young defender in Europa League and Scottish Premiership action. Bassey seemed to have potential suitors across Europe before the Amsterdam outfit swooped in.
But since it has been a tale of inconsistency for the 23-year-old with Bassey coming under heavy fire at times from Dutch pundits and former players for his performances. And the starlet admits even his mother is concerned about some of the barbs aimed at him but Bassey is determined to make it and even revealed the Premier League was an option but that he wanted to test himself at Ajax.
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He told De Volkskrant: "I've only been on the road in a first team for a few years. Rangers just got better and better. But there comes a time when the line goes down. That could take a month or a year.
"With me you could call the beginning of this season a down period. The team didn't play well, while I prefer to play central rather than left back. It's also a character test.
“I tried to avoid the [earlier] criticism getting into my heart. Instead I was thinking: I wouldn't be at Ajax if I wasn't a good player. I can’t do anything about my price tag. Ajax wanted me. I’m developing, just like the rest of our team.
"Every footballer will say it doesn't affect him, but it does affect you. A hundred percent. My mom gets screenshots with criticism. She's concerned. She calls. She doesn't know how it works. That's how you think: 'they don't like my son.'
“I like the process of improving myself. That's why I chose Ajax. Premier League was an option? But I wanted something that was unusual for me. The style of playing, the connection, the technique. If you can play at Ajax, you can play anywhere in the world.”
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