Bassey aims to lure England-born talents to Nigeria
Fulham defender Calvin Bassey has urged young footballers of Nigerian descent, including Arsenal starlet Ethan Nwaneri, to consider representing the Super Eagles over England on the international stage.
Speaking to NBC Sports, the 24-year-old defender, who was born in Italy to Nigerian parents and raised in England, revealed how his connection to his heritage influenced his decision to represent Nigeria in 2022.
“I feel like because most of us were first-generation, we really feel connected to our Nigerian roots. We know how big of a country it is and how big they are in football, with some of the Nigerian stars that came through — Jay-Jay Okocha, Nwankwo Kanu, John Obi Mikel… there are so many stars,” Bassey said.
“For us, we looked up to these guys, and we wanted to be part of it. It’s a nice feeling. Hopefully, we inspire more boys who are born in England to at least consider playing back home.”
The Super Eagles have struggled in recent years to convince highly-rated talents born in England with Nigerian roots to pledge their international futures to the West African giants, with players such as Bukayo Saka, Tammy Abraham, Fikayo Tomori, Ebere Eze, and Dominic Solanke all opting to represent England.
However, 17-year-old Nwaneri, who became the youngest player in Premier League history in 2022, is eligible to play for either England, where he was born, or Nigeria, the birthplace of his parents.
Reports suggest England could hand him his first senior international call-up in March.
Bassey’s decision to represent Nigeria has already yielded rewards, having played a pivotal role in Nigeria’s run to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations final and helping the team clinch qualification for the next edition in Morocco.
He is part of a growing group of players who have pledged their futures to Nigeria, alongside Ola Aina, Alex Iwobi, Ademola Lookman, Nathan Tella, and Fisayo Dele-Bashiru.
Lookman’s case is particularly notable—having switched allegiance from England in 2022, the Atalanta forward is now the reigning CAF African Footballer of the Year.
For Bassey, representing Nigeria is deeply personal.
“When I was younger, my mom didn’t really watch football unless it was the World Cup. That’s the only thing she was engaged in because Nigeria was involved,” he said.
“So seeing that I just know when I’m on that pitch playing for Nigeria, she’s supporting like crazy.”
With head coach Eric Chelle set to announce his squad for the March World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and Zimbabwe, Bassey is expected to be one of the first names on the list.
