Nigerian defender Calvin Bassey has lifted the lid on his decision to represent Nigeria at the international level ahead of England.

Born in Italy and raised in England, the Fulham defender was eligible to represent either the Azzurri, the Three Lions, or the Super Eagles.

The 24-year-old committed his international future to Nigeria, making his debut for the three-time African champions in the World Cup qualifier against Ghana in March 2022.

Reflecting on his decision to represent Nigeria, the former Ajax defender disclosed that the 2018 FIFA World Cup game between Nigeria and Argentina was the motivating factor.

According to Bassey, the intensity of the game fueled his desire to play for Nigeria at such a high level while hailing Lionel Messi for his brilliant goal in the game.

“When Nigeria played Argentina, they lost 2-1, but it was a great game,” Bassey said.

“Messi—well, Messi is Messi, isn’t he? He scored that outrageous goal, with the ball going from knee to left foot, then right foot. It was top class. That was a real motivation for me, to want to play for Nigeria and compete at that level.”

Nigeria lost 2-1 to Argentina in the game, courtesy of goals from Lionel Messi and Marcos Rojo. Victor Moses scored Nigeria's only goal from the spot.