Calvin Bassey borrows from Gio's Rangers playbook in Ajax struggles explainer as critics line up
The Nigeria international will make his return to Ibrox with the Dutch giants following his bumper summer switch.
Former Rangers defender Calvin Bassey admits he has faced a step up in levels at Ajax and in the Champions League after leaving Ibrox.
The 22-year-old landed a dream move to the Dutch champions last summer with Rangers recouping a bumper £19.6 million windfall - which could rise to £23 million. However, things haven'g gone to plan so far for the Nigeria international with fuming pundits has singling out Bassey for criticism as he looks to fill the void left by Lisandro Martinez at the back following his departure for Manchester United.
With Ajax crashing out of the Champions League at the group stage, fingers were pointed over Bassey's displays in the double header against Napoli, which saw the Serie A leaders net a whopping 10 goals against the Amsterdam outfit. Bassey has admitted he has found it tough to make the leap from Europa League football to Europe's elite competition - echoing comments from his former boss Gio van Bronckhorst.
Following the 4-0 thumping at the hands of Ajax on matchday one, Van Bronckhorst controversially claimed Rangers "can't compete" at Champions League level without spending big money. He noted that "everything goes quicker in the Champions League" as the reasoning behind the thumping at the hands of Ajax.
In a nod of agreement with his former gaffer, Bassey commented ahead of Tuesday's clash: “The Champions League is a step up from the Europa League. You see the teams you are facing in the Champions League and you can see their quality.
“They have dangerous players, physically they are bigger and stronger as well. Everyone knows the history of Ajax and it is a step up for me. We have a lot of quality in the team."
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He also admitted he faced an adjustment period after leaving the Scottish Premiership, adding: "The biggest difference is that the Eredivisie has more teams and the players we play against are a step above the Scottish League with all due respect. You don’t have a second to switch off.
"You need to stay focused, communicate more and try to lead the backline. We’ve got experienced players around which makes your life easier."
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