Thankful Calvin Bassey has heaped praise on former Rangers boss Gio van Bronckhorst for turning him into a bonafide Ibrox star amid a thrilling run to the Europa League Final.Bassey believes the Dutchman's ice-cool demeanour was integral as he went from fringe contributor to vital cog before securing a £19.5m switch to Ajax in the summer of 2022.
In a wide-ranging interview the now-Fulham star has opened up on his Rangers love affair and the non-stop verbals from A-list pundits in the Netherlands during an ill-fated 12 months in Amsterdam.But the 23-year-old has spoken glowingly about van Bronckhorst and his ability to remain calm while others were losing their heads in the wake of their first leg semi-final defeat to Leipzig.
Rangers produced one of their greatest ever European displays to dismantle the Germans 3-1 in the return at Ibrox and secure their place in the Final against Eintracht Frankfurt before losing agonisingly on penalties.
The appreciative star – speaking to The Athletic – said: “What a guy — from the first game, Gio said, ‘Calvin, you’re playing’.
Read more on dailyrecord.co.uk