Nigerian CB, Calvin Bassey opened up about the pivotal role his mother, Mercy, played in shaping his football career.

Born in Italy to Nigerian parents, Bassey’s family later relocated to London, where his mother courageously raised him and his three siblings after his father’s departure.

The CB got his football career off in England with Leicester City, eventually making a move to Glasgow Rangers in Scotland.

His outstanding performances caught the attention of Ajax Amsterdam, who secured his talents for a substantial £20 million.

After a season in the Netherlands, Bassey returned to England, signing with Fulham and fulfilling his dream of becoming a Premier League player.

In a recent interview with Athletic, Bassey attributes his success to the influence of his mother, Mercy, and buy her a house after signing his first senior contract.

“It’s every kid’s dream to be able to get their family a home, so I moved them out of the area,” Bassey said.

“I said I was going to but don’t think she thought I would — at least not five months after signing.

“She was praying and jumping up and down. It was disbelief, but I was happy to put a smile on her face as she sacrificed a lot for us boys.”​

Interestingly, before achieving senior player status, Bassey was often referred to by his father’s surname, Ughelumba, in team sheets.

The 23-year-old dropped the father’s surname, ans he proudly goes by his mother’s surname Bassey.

“He’s just not in my life — we lived with him, but that was when I was really young,” Bassey recalled. “Since I was six, it has been Mum and us boys.”

“I knew that if I got the chance to put my name on the back of a shirt, I wanted it to be my mum’s name — my way of saying thank you.”

On his move to Fulham, he said:

“It feels like a dream sometimes when we are driving back from games. It’s crazy that we used to speak about playing in the Premier League five, six years ago and I’m there now. It’s a blessing,” He concluded.