Football

Play for Eagles, Bassey woos Nwaneri

Fulham defender, Calvin Bassey has urged young players of Nigerian descent, including Arsenal starlet Ethan Nwaneri, to strongly consider representing Nigeria over England on the international stage, soccernet.ng reports.

The 17-year-old midfielder, 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.

With reports suggesting that England could hand Nwaneri his first senior international call-up this month, Bassey wants the Arsenal man to play for the Super Eagles.

Bassey, who was born in Italy to Nigerian parents and raised in England, faced a similar decision before choosing to represent Nigeria in 2022.

“I think it’s goo d. With us going back to our family roots, I think a lot more players have done it as well. 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!

“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 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) silver medalist told NBC Sports.

For Bassey, playing for Nigeria is more than just a career decision—it’s a matter of pride and family legacy.

“When I was younger, my mum didn’t really watch football unless it was the World Cup,” he said.

“That’s the only thing she was engaged in because Nigeria was involved. So seeing that, I just know when I’m on that pitch playing for Nigeria, she’s supporting like crazy.”

Bassey recalled how his mother became his loudest cheerleader during the 2023 AFCON tournament.

“I remember when she came to the African Cup of Nations [in Cote d’Ivoire], obviously, I couldn’t see her, but my friend was there along with my mum and my agent, and they sent me videos. My mum’s passion is just crazy. She’s just screaming!

“She thinks I can hear her, and I’m like ‘I can’t hear it Mum, there’s like 60,000 people in the stadium!’ But it’s nice, and that just fuels me to want to do more. I know all my family in Nigeria is watching as well. It’s a different type of feeling — you can’t really put into words.”