Forgotten man’ Basden waiting for call-up

Waiting for the call: Basden, who plays for Chesterfield Under-21s, is desperate to play for Bermuda against Canada next Sunday



Chikosi Basden insists he would return to the island without hesitation if called up by Bermuda for their international friendly against Canada on Sunday week.

Basden believes that he has flown under the radar of the Bermuda coaching staff and suspects he has become the forgotten man, having spent the past six years living in England pursuing a professional contract

The Chesterfield Under-21 player is keen to remind the island of his footballing ability and said he is eager to make his Bermuda debut as soon as possible.

Im literally waiting for that one call, said the former Somerset Trojans forward. If they call me up and say, Do you want to play against Canada?, I would jump on that plane at the snap of a finger. Hopefully they want to have a look at me because I definitely want to play for Bermuda.

My agent wants me to play for the national team because it would help me become more marketable  its huge.

Basden, who now plays right back, said he is in the midst of a make-or-break season with Chesterfield and has ambitions to win a permanent deal at the Derbyshire side at the end of the season.

Although he is not under contract at the club, he lives the life of a professional player, training every day, and shares accommodation provided by the FBT International Football Academy  a company that works in partnership with Chesterfield  with the rest of his team-mates.

Im in a vulnerable position, the 21-year-old admits. People look at my age and say, He has never had a professional contract, so maybe that makes it difficult to shift me on.

My coach [Liam Sutcliffe] believes in me and believes I can make it somewhere.

Its all on me and Im hopeful and confident that I can make it somewhere.

With his fellow Bermudian Rai Simons in the first team at Chesterfield, Basden has an added incentive to make his mark at the Sky Bet League One side who sacked manager Danny Wilson last week after a run of poor results.

My first goal is to try and make it with Chesterfield  I really want to prove myself here, Basden said.

However, I have to keep my options open and theres a chance of getting scouted by teams from League One, League Two and National League  thats the reality of it.

There are also some semi-professional clubs interested, so there are some doors open. But Im really trying to make it at Chesterfield and would love to play with another Bermudian.

Basdens footballing journey has taken him from the Mansfield Town Academy to the Stoke City Under-17s before a brief spell at non-League side Enfield Town en route to the Chesterfield International Academy.

He said he has grown as a player as well as a person since leaving Bermuda as a 15-year-old, although he admits it took him a while to adapt to the physicality and speed of the English game.

Im very grateful to my parents for moving to England because thats allowed me to grow as a player and a person, said Basden, who played for the Bermuda Under-20 side under Dennis Brown  his former coach at Trojans.

When I first came here it was difficult and I had to adapt to the speed of the play.

Ive played every position: right back, left back; right wing, left wing; the No 10 role and as a striker.

Ive learnt a lot from every position and I would call myself a utility player.

I like it a lot at full back; Im still learning the position, but I actually enjoy it.

I used to play as a striker and these days managers want a modern full back, someone who can get up and down.