Calvin Bassey at Ajax Was a Mistake, Says Dutch Legend

Rafael van der Vaart, a former Dutch international, has joined the chorus of football analysts criticizing Ajax for signing Calvin Bassey, a Nigerian defender.
The Dutch great claimed that Nigerian footballer Calvin Bassey, who joined the team last summer, lacked the necessary skills to play for Ajax.

Bassey who left Glasgow Rangers for Ajax last summer for a club-record £19.6 million (€23 million), has had a challenging year

Under former Ajax manager Alfred Schreuder, the 23-year-old defender played frequently, starting 16 league games and contributing a goal.

In the Dutch Eredivisie Division match at the Van Donge and De Roo Stadion, when Ajax defeated Excelsior 4-1, Calvin Bassey began from the bench for the struggling Dutch champions under interim manager John Heitinga.

As it stands, it is looking very challenging for the Nigerian international to convince coach Heitinga and the Ajax fans that he deserves a first-eleven spot at the Johan Cruyff Arena and is worthy of the transfer fee the club paid for his services.

In reaction to Bassey’s struggle at Ajax, Van der Vaart, a former Real Madrid player, lambasted the signing of the Nigerian, calling his signing one of the “big mistakes” Ajax’s former coach, Schreuder made.

In an interview with the Daily Record, Van der Vaart said: “How is someone who played for Glasgow Rangers like Calvin Bassey going to be able to lead the defense at Ajax?

“Where was the Ajax youth system? Was there no one there better than him? Because if there isn’t then you have a major problem. Sometimes it’s better if you don’t have any money because then you don’t do crazy things. Then you wait for the right moment and occasionally take a chance. Instead, they spent €23m on Bassey. Alfred Schreuder made too many big mistakes.”