The Nigerian Super Eagles defender, Calvin Bassey has received praise from Manchester United forward Bryan Mbeumo, who described him as one of the toughest opponents he has faced in his career.
Unarguably, the Fulham ‘super’ defender has built a strong reputation in the English Premier League as a powerful and reliable centre-back.
Calvin Bassey is known for his strength, pace and ability to read the game well. These qualities make him extremely difficult for attackers to beat, whether the battle is on the ground or in the air.
A report claimed that during a recent appearance on the Zack Nani show, Manchester United striker Mbeumo spoke openly about how difficult it is to play against the Nigerian international.
According to the Cameronian international, Calvin Bassey stood out in the matches they played against Fulham because of his physical power and defensive intelligence.
“Calvin Bassey, damn. I think he really stood out in games. Even in the two previous games against them, he was solid,” Mbeumo said.
“Yeah, Calvin Bassey is a beast, the guy is a beast. He’s too strong, it’s crazy, and on top of that he’s fast too. It’s not cool to play against him.”
Haaland made the same point about Calvin Bassey
The Manchester United striker Bryan Mbeumo is not the first top Premier League striker to experience the defender’s nightmare, and praise Calvin Bassey. Earlier, Manchester City forward Erling Haaland also spoke about the Nigerian defender and how strong he is.
The Norwegian striker made the comments after facing Fulham in an exciting Premier League match that ended 5-4 in favour of Manchester City. He highlighted the physical battle that players face in England’s top flight.
The Manchester City forward used the Nigerian international— Calvin Bassey as an example of the kind of defender attackers must deal with.
“It’s not easy [playing in the Premier League]. It’s hard, it’s very hard. Coming from Germany, here, it’s different; it’s more physical,” Haaland said.
“It’s more about duels, about contact. Even playing against Fulham, that’s a top team. Look at the game, it’s 5-4 in the end.
“It’s incredible. When you play against Bassey, you know. How strong is he? Then you have Andersen, who’s huge. Every game comes with its perks, even though you have your own plans.
