Eredivisie

“I was studying on the bench”- Bassey on MOTM performance against Nijmegen

Bassey has not seen a lot of game time since Heitinga took over at the club, but he seems to be clawing his way back 

Super Eagles defender Calvin Bassey has revealed that sitting on the bench helped him improve his game and learn Ajax’s style of play.

Bassey became the third most expensive signing by Ajax after his €23million-transfer from Scottish club Rangers.

He arrived at a crucial time for Ajax because the team was going through a transition period after losing some of their best players and coach Erik Ten Hag.

With Bassey in defense, Ajax failed to win games. They were conceding goals but failed to score. Ex-Ajax players even advised former coach Alfred Schreuder to drop Bassey.

However, Schreuder kept faith in the 23-year-old. Unfortunately, he was sacked after a poor run of results.

Heitinga took over in late January. Since then,  Bassey’s game time has reduced drastically. The former Rangers man has started only four of Ajax’s last ten games.

Bassey was named in the starting eleven for Ajax in their 1-0 victory over Nijmegen on Sunday. He had a superb game and he was rewarded with the Man of the match award.

Speaking after the game, he revealed that whilst he has not been satisfied with his lack of game time, he has used the period to learn from his teammates and improve on his game.

 

“Sometimes you have to sit back down and learn again,” Bassey said per Scottish Daily Express.

“I had to start doing extra work on the training pitch. I decided to start again. While I was on the subs’ bench, I studied the way the defenders played. I spent a lot of time watching how Jurrien Timber and Edson Alvarez positioned themselves when they were in my position in defense.

“Don’t get me wrong, I was frustrated when I wasn’t playing. But I knew it was not all about me, it was about the team and winning games.

“It actually helped to be on the bench for a while. For me, it is a process and a development curve. I know I can improve a lot here.

“The manager told me to be ready when I am needed next and I was. Ajax have taught me a lot about the game.

“That is also the reason why I chose this club. It’s one of the best places to develop as a player.”

 

Ajax have won their last seven Eredivisie games and they are just three points behind leaders Feyenoord.

Bassey would hope that his performance against Nijmegen would be the start of good things for him at Ajax.

This post was last modified on %s = human-readable time difference 2:54 pm

Kelvin Omachonu

Share
Published by
Kelvin Omachonu

Recent Posts

Super Eagles striker delivers perfect response to Augustine Eguavoen after Nigeria snub

Super Eagles forward Cyriel Dessers has delivered a powerful response to Nigeria's national team selectors… Read More

7 hours ago

From injury scare to Spurs’ nemesis: Super Osimhen nets brace to spur Galatasaray to big win over Tottenham

Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen scored a brace for Galatasaray to help them secure a… Read More

8 hours ago

Tottenham join Leicester City as Victor Osimhen’s favourite Premier League opponent

Victor Osimhen struck twice in a thrilling seven-minute burst to propel Galatasaray to a 3-2… Read More

8 hours ago

Nigeria and England snub Chelsea star with 82 caps and 3 goals in the Premier League

Chelsea defender Tosin Adarabioyo will miss out on international action in November as neither Nigeria… Read More

11 hours ago

Nigeria’s second-highest goal scorer in Super Lig history faces third injury setback this season pre-Rizespor

Nigeria’s second-highest goal scorer in Turkish Super Lig history, Anthony Nwakaeme, has suffered his third… Read More

11 hours ago

“Done very well” – Former Barcelona star applauds Eguavoen as Super Eagles edge closer to AFCON ticket

Former Barcelona winger Emmanuel Amunike has praised the performance of Nigeria's Super Eagles coaching team,… Read More

12 hours ago