By Dayo Awoniyi
Fulham defender Calvin Bassey says he is determined to build on his strong debut season in the Premier League, describing the campaign as a childhood dream come true.
Bassey, 24, joined Fulham last summer from Ajax Amsterdam and quickly became a regular fixture under manager Marco Silva.
The Super Eagles centre-back made 35 appearances across all competitions, scoring once and earning praise for his consistency and versatility in defence.
Reflecting on his first season at Craven Cottage, Bassey expressed satisfaction with his performance but insisted he is focused on improving.
“Making my debut in the Premier League, it’s something I dreamt of as a child. So to achieve that was a huge moment for me, one I truly cherish,” Bassey said in a recent interview.
He added that the brief off-season break has only sharpened his hunger for the game.
“Like every footballer, after two or three weeks off, you start missing it. For me, the drive going into a new season is to always be better than the last. That alone should motivate you to become the best version of yourself.”
Bassey’s solid performances helped Fulham secure a mid-table finish, and he is now focused on pushing both his individual game and the team forward in the upcoming campaign.
Fulham begin their pre-season preparations next month, with Bassey expected to play a central role in the squad’s plans for the 2025/26 season.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
