Fulham defender Calvin Bassey has set his sights on helping the London club secure European qualification next season, following what he described as a personally satisfying Premier League campaign.
The Nigerian international, who joined Fulham from Ajax in 2023, played a key role as Marco Silva’s side finished 11th in the just-ended season.
Bassey earned praise for his blend of physicality and technical ability, and he believes both he and the team are ready to aim higher.
Speaking to Sky Sports, the 24-year-old highlighted his growth over the past year and outlined his ambitions for the upcoming campaign.
“It was not about winning anything personal or being player of the season,” he said. “It was just about doing better than I did last season, my first season, and I feel like I was able to do that.”
Bassey is known for his aggressive style and willingness to drive forward from the back.
“I’m an exciting centre-back. I’m a centre-back who likes to attack. I’m going to go on a little dribble once in a while. My manager accepts it and he knows what I am. I’m confident. I trust myself with the ball.”
Despite narrowly missing out on a push for European qualification last term, Bassey remains optimistic.
“I feel like we had chances to take that step, and maybe one or two games where we weren’t consistent enough killed us from really pushing for that Europa League spot.”
He stressed that Fulham have what it takes to compete at a higher level.
“It’s humbling knowing that we still have some work to do, but we do have a team with a lot of quality and we can achieve great things,” he said. “It’s a clear target for us next season.”
