Former Rangers defender Calvin Bassey has opened up on the abuse he received after a number of poor displays at Ajax.
The 23-year-old made a big money move to the Dutch giants in the summer transfer window following a successful campaign under Giovanni van Bronckhorst at Ibrox. Bassey helped Rangers reach the Europa League final against Eintracht Frankfurt where they eventually lost on penalties. He also played a pivotal role in the Govan side lifting the Scottish Cup at Hampden.
The Nigerian international faced huge criticism from pundits and fans in the Netherlands after a number of disappointing performances, however he has been praised after Ajax's results started to improve in recent months. Bassey said the abuse he received earlier this season was so bad that his mum got involved. He said: "Every footballer will say criticism does not affect him, but it does affect you. One hundred per cent. My mum took screenshots of the criticism.
"She was concerned and she called me. She doesn't know how it works. She's worried because she thinks no one likes her son.
"Football is mentally tough. Everyone sees us playing in big stadiums. We drive a nice car. Don't get me wrong, we live the lives thousands would like to live, but the sacrifices are not to be underestimated. Mentally, football can be exhausting. When everything goes well, it's easy, just like with people in the office. But if it doesn't go well, it's different.
"Then it doesn't really matter if you go to a nice house after work. There is more to life than material things. I've only been a pro for a few years, remember? At Rangers, it got better and better for me, but there comes a time when your form dips.
"With me, you could call the beginning of this season a down period. The team didn't play well and I prefer to play central rather than left back. It was also a character test."
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