Calvin Bassey has revealed that Crystal Palace and Leyton Orient turned down the chance to sign him during his early years.
The 22 year-old who played in the final of the Europa League last season has been attracting interests from English Premier League sides following his meteoric rise at Glasgow Rangers.
Bassey was quickly integrated into the first team at Rangers when he joined under Steven Gerrard and has since become a crucial player with new Manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst.
But it wasn’t always that easy the Nigerian recounts, his attempts to get deals into the academy of a professional club was tough.
He almost gave up on a career in football until Charlton picked him up. His time at The Addicks was also brief, but a trail at Leicester City changed the Winger turned Defender’s story.
In an interview on Rising Ballers’ YouTube channel in 2021, the Player who was born in Aosta, Italy described those humble beginnings.
‘Back in 2015, Bill Ward who was the head of recruitment at Leicester City gave me a contract,’ Bassey recalls.
‘That day I got back to school late and when I was asked why I told them I was trying out for Leicester and I got the deal.
‘Nobody believed me until I showed them a picture of myself and Ward.’
The player went on to represent the U18s and U23s but five years down the line Leicester City refused to extend his deal.
But by this time he had done enough to attract interests outside of England and just a month without a club, Rangers signed him on a four-year deal.
His debut season as a first team player, Calvin Bassey won the Scottish Premiership League title.
‘A month before I was at the end and later I was in front of Gerrard (Steven) and he knows my name, it was mind blowing.’
In 2021 he earned his debut Nigeria call up, but did not get his first cap until a year later, even though he was also eligible to play for either Italy or England.
