Cult Rangers hero Calvin Bassey marks his return to the UK with Fulham in style by scoring in a pre-season friendly win over Hoffenheim.
The Nigerian international defender, 23, joined the Cottagers in a reported £19m deal earlier in the month just one year on from when Bassey broke the Rangers transfer record last season.
Following two seasons at Ibrox, Rangers flipped the defender to secure a £23m sale to Dutch giants Ajax but the Ibrox club will not recoup the full amount of the transfer after Calvin Bassey’s move to Fulham.
It was a miserable 12 months in the Netherlands and Rangers fans will be delighted to see such a popular ex-player find his feet in England, even if the club stand to lose out on fraction of the final fee.
Still retaining popular cult status amongst the Rangers support, the defender looks to be settling in quite nicely indeed and netted on his return to football in the UK.
The defender netted the winner in a 2-1 pre-season Fulham victory over Hoffenheim, Calvin Bassey pinging home a header from a corner with around 20 minutes to play.
This came after fellow debutant Raul Giménez had given Fulham the lead and Grischa Prömel had equalised for Hoffenheim almost immediately.
Calvin Bassey gets head-start on Fulham career
This was Fulham’s final match of pre-season and now Calvin Bassey can look forward to the real thing next week as the Craven Cottage club kick off their Premier League campaign away to Everton at Goodison Park.
A positive and impactful signing for Rangers, the defender’s powerful running, defensive aggression and forward-thinking playing style made him a fan favourite in Govan.
But with the money on offer simply too much to turn down, Rangers cashed in at the right time and Calvin Bassey now prepares to embark on a new adventure with Fulham.
Gers supporters will be excited to tune into Match of the Day to see the defender this season and with an early pre-season goal for Fulham let’s hope the ex-Leicester kid can kick on and reach his potential down south.
