Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Record
Daily Record
Sport
Gabriel McKay

Calvin Bassey scouted as robust Rangers signing solves long-term Steven Gerrard issue

There isn't much that excites fans like a new signing, but Rangers fans may not have known quite how to feel when Calvin Bassey joined on a four-year deal on Saturday.

The Leicester City left-back signed on a pre-contract deal despite interest from the likes of Bayer Leverkusen and West Ham United.

Foxes boss Brendan Rodgers was keen to keep Bassey, but as a player without a first team appearance or even a Wikipedia page fans of his new club could be forgiven for not knowing much about the 20-year-old.

Is the new Ibrox arrival a potential diamond, or will he be walking out the joint in the near future?

We've taken a deep dive on the new Rangers man.

Who is Calvin Bassey?

Bassey was born in Italy but raised in London, and is also eligible to play for Nigeria.

He stands just under 6ft tall and came up through the Leicester youth system.

He was part of a Foxes youth side who ran riot in a development game at Ibrox in September 2017, thrashing a young Rangers team 6-1.

Where does he play?

Primarily a left-back, Bassey has also featured at left centre-back for the Leicester under-23 side after an injury to former Celtic centre-back Filip Benkovic.

He's played centrally both as part of a back four and a back three.

Studying him in action for the U-23s, it seems common that he would often be asked to play both positions in a single game, sometimes shifting back and forth between the two.

He won't play on the right, there's no fear that he might.

What kind of player is he?

Positive: Bassey is a strong and physically imposing player who looks confident attacking aerial balls.

An often-encountered issue with young players moving from development football in England to the rough and tumble of the SPFL is difficulty dealing with the physical challenge.

But Bassey looks well-equipped to deal with it. Not only is he physically strong, there's an aggression about his play that should bode well.

There's also a willingness to get forward when played on the left and occasional flashes of tidy foot-work in the final third.

Bassey also appears comfortable picking passes from deep, with numerous examples of the defender finding team-mates from difficult positions instead of simply clearing his lines.

Perhaps most importantly, however, he will provide natural cover at left-back for the first time in Steven Gerrard 's spell as manager.

Borna Barisic has established himself as first choice but he's only ever been backed up by Andy Halliday - a midfielder - and the right-footed Jon Flanagan.

Negative: For a full-back, Bassey is not blessed with lightning pace.

While he has played at centre-back he has not always looked comfortable there, notably missing an interception in an U-23s game against Southampton to allow the hosts to take the lead.

Another example shows Bassey, as last man, miscontrolling and allowing the opposition in on goal. It suggests a tendency to switch off at times, which is, to be fair, not uncommon in young players.

There's a certain apprehension about his play at centre-back which suggests he's been brought in primarily for use on the left.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.