Calvin Bassey feels right at home at Fulham. The Nigerian international was elected Man of the Match after his winning goal in the friendly match against 1899 Hoffenheim and spoke about his first week with the Londoners after the game.
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Bassey recently swapped Ajax for Fulham and immediately impressed manager Marco Silva. On Saturday, the 23-year-old defender scored his first unofficial goal for the Premier League club with a powerful header. He achieved this feat at Craven Cottage, the home ground of the club where former Ajax player Kenny Tete also plays.
After the match, Bassey appeared before the camera with a big smile and concluded that Fulham is starting the season with a good feeling, and the same goes for him. 'I am full of confidence, I want to play beautiful and attacking football. It won't always be perfect, but today it worked out well for us.'
And then he even managed to score a goal. 'We've been practicing set pieces, and the manager asked where I feel comfortable. I told him that I like to make runs across the goal and use my speed to beat players. It was a great ball. I didn't have to do much, just guide the ball and head it into the net.'
Bassey immediately endeared himself to Craven Cottage, where he played for the first time since his arrival. 'That was amazing. It's nice to be back home and see the stadium. I can't wait for it to be filled,' said Bassey, who grew up in London. 'It feels like coming home again, close to my family. That's comforting.'
Dream
Now, Bassey hopes to be in action next Saturday in the Premier League when Fulham visits Everton. 'Every boy dreams of playing in the Premier League,' he laughs to the club channel. 'That has always been my dream. Hopefully, I've shown enough to the manager to get selected.'
His coach seems to be looking forward to it as well. 'It will be different for Calvin because it will be his first time in the Premier League,' Silva said at the press conference. 'Although he is a London boy, the competition is new to him, and he still needs to adapt to our way of defending. But we know what his qualities are.'
Updated: 11:52, 6 Aug 2023
