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

Calvin Bassey earns new Rangers nickname as Nigerian press give defender a rebrand after international heroics

In-form Calvin Bassey has been given a new nickname by the Nigerian press after impressing in the post-season internationals.

The Rangers defender was one of the standout performers at Ibrox last season as the club reached the Europa League final and lifted the Scottish Cup.

After starting the season on the fringes of Steven Gerrard's squad, he became a force under Gio van Bronckhorst.

That has saw clubs south of the border lining up for his signature with the defender tipped for a £25million move to Aston Villa, with other clubs keeping tabs on the centre-back.

Bassey followed up an impressive club campaign with eye-catching performances for Nigeria.

He earned rave reviews following his displays against Ecuador and Mexico as The Super Eagles warm up for their AFCON qualifiers with Sierra Leone and Mauritius.

Having started both games at left-back, Nigerian outlets have taken to calling the full-back 'Bazooka' Bassey.

The rebrand has been credited to his thumping crosses into the box that have caused havoc for defenders in back-to-back internationals.

Bassey will remain with the Nigeria squad alongside teammate Joe Aribo until June 13.

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.