Ajax youngster Hato hails the qualities of Calvin Bassey

Ajax youth defender Jorrel Hato has hailed Super Eagles defender Calvin Bassey for his defensive attributes.

The 16-year-old who is understudying the Nigerian international described him as defensively strong.

“In the beginning, I was also a bit shy. Feeling comfortable in the group of players comes naturally, Hato told the club's website.

“In training, I was also next to him as a left-back this week. Then you see how he does things. Defensively he is very strong.”

Bassey has been subjected to harsh criticisms for his performance since joining the Eredivisie champions in the summer transfer window.

The 22-year-old joined the Amsterdam-based team from Glasgow Rangers for a club-record fee of €23m.

The Leicester City academy product has managed 1 goal and 2 assists in 19 starts for Alfred Schreuder’s side.

Bassey was in action for 70 minutes as Ajax defeated Blackburn Rovers 2-0 in a pre-season friendly on Saturday, December 3.

WDN