Coventry City‘s Norman Bassette says he’s a big fan of Manchester City‘s Erling Haaland and has been following him closely for several years.
The striker joined the Sky Blues from SM Caen in August 2024 and struggled in his debut season.
Bassette wasn’t able to replicate the Manchester City striker’s impressive performances at Coventry City. He finished with two goals and an assist from 1,097 minutes from 29 matches.
Several loan moves for Coventry City man
Last summer, Frank Lampard’s side sent him on loan to Stade Reims, where he managed two goals. In January, the Sky Blues cut short his stay in France and immediately sent him on loan to 1. FC Kaiserslautern, where he finished with two goals and two assists.
Coventry City returned to the Premier League while Lampard left the 21-year-old out of his plans this season. Therefore, in July, he joined KVC Westerlo on loan with an option to buy.
He already scored two goals from five matches. Speaking to La Dernière Heure, Norman Bassette talked about his good start to the season.
“I’m very happy to have scored these two goals, even if I’d prefer to have more wins with my team,” he said.
“It’s the first time I’ve started a season so well. Usually, it took me longer to adapt. But I’ve received a lot of support from the club, the staff, and all of that means I feel very comfortable at Westerlo.”
Coventry City player’s dream club
KVC Westerlo will host Standard Liège in the league on Saturday, and this clash will be special for the Coventry City man.
La Dernière Heure says Norman Bassette has been dreaming of wearing Standard’s shirt since childhood. However, he won’t be a fan when facing them this weekend.
“Playing against Standard is something special for me because, as everyone knows, I used to have a season ticket there. But today, I’ve grown up, I’ve gained perspective on many things, and I’m now a Westerlo player. On Saturday, I’ll be playing against Standard not as a Standard supporter, but as a Westerlo player,” Bassette explained.
The outlet explains there were possibilities for him to join his dream club in the past few windows.
When asked why he didn’t end up joining them, he added: “But today, I’m very happy to be at Westerlo. If I’m here, it’s because it’s the right thing for me. I have no regrets about not signing with Standard.”
He said “no” when asked whether there’s still ambition or dream about joining Standard.
Fan of Manchester City star
Norman Bassette says he has been following the Manchester City frontman from his time at Borussia Dortmund.
The Norway international spent two years with BVB and left them for Manchester City in 2022. The outlet adds he draws inspiration from Erling Haaland.
“He’s an example for me. I’ve been a big fan of Haaland since his time at Dortmund. I watched a lot of videos of his matches to learn from them. Now I know what I need to improve if I want to have the same kind of career,” Bassette said.
