Super Eagles defender Calvin Bassey has disclosed that he almost quit football after he failed to get a professional club.

The Nigerian international had a difficult early career marked by persistence through many rejections from top London academies (like Leyton Orient, Crystal Palace, and Charlton), eventually finding his way to Leicester City’s youth system at 15, where he excelled in their U18 and U23 squads before a breakthrough move to Rangers in 2020, leading to a prominent career in Europe.

Speaking with Voetbal International, Bassey stated that he did everything to achieve his goal.

“I remember being 15 and going into my final year, and I told myself that if I didn’t get a professional club, I would quit football. It was that simple,” the former Rangers defender said.

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“I would just stop pursuing it seriously and only play for fun. Thank God I eventually got a club, because I honestly don’t know where I would be otherwise.

“I would have played casually with my friends, but I wouldn’t have chased a career in it anymore.”

“Looking back, that moment was good for me. It felt like a make-or-break point, so I had to give everything I had. That’s the positive side of it,” he explained.

“I would have been at peace with myself either way, because at least I promised myself that I would give it everything, and if it didn’t work out, then so be it.”