Since signing a Homegrown contract on August 10th, 2018, midfielder Cole Bassett strived to take his play to the next level. Now, at 20 years old, the Colorado kid has the opportunity to grow in his game overseas with Feyenoord Rotterdam, one of Eredivisie’s top sides in the Netherlands.
Bassett’s 18-month long loan to the Dutch side is a bittersweet move as he will leave behind the club and community that raised him. From watching Rapids games as a kid, taking the pitch in his MLS debut and securing a top of the Western Conference finish in 2021, the midfielder has developed from a raw talent to a well-rounded competitor. And it’s all thanks to the coaches, teammates, and community that helped him understand his potential along the way.
Before flying across the Atlantic to fulfill that potential, Cole Bassett shared his message of gratitude to the club, his family, and ever-faithful Colorado Rapids fans:
“Starting out with the academy coaching staff, Erik Bushey, Chris [Cartlidge], they were the ones that brought me here. And I don't think I saw a pathway to the pros until I came here. I can't thank you guys enough for making me not feel like that jump was too big and for bringing me over here to start. Once I signed it's obviously a big thank you to Pádraig [Smith] and the upper management staff. You guys gave me a chance. And as a kid that wasn't really highly touted or highly regarded by many when I was younger, I think you guys took a chance on a kid that you guys believed in and you kind of made me believe in myself as well. So thank you to them and to the three coaches I've had; Anthony [Hudson], I just got to speak with him at U.S. camp, so I think he knows how I feel about him, and then Connor [Casey] and Robin [Fraser] and the whole staff here as well. Especially Robin and this group that's here now, you guys have developed me the most as a player. I've really changed more into a man these last couple of years. For me, it's just a huge thank you and hopefully somewhere down the road we meet up again.
My family's been there for me. They believed in me before I believed in myself. So I think they'll always have a special place in my heart, and to the teammates here as well, I've had so many good friends here. They'll be lifelong friends. When I came in, I believe we were last place in the West. The transition that we had over a four year period, to get first place in the West, second place in the league, it's something that I don't think many people would have believed and just shows how special this group was and how close we were as a team. So I think as a person, I'll remember all these guys as special humans, but on the field as well, we created something special together. And I don't think the Rapids' fans or the whole Colorado community will forget that. So a big thank you to all of you.
Everybody within the Rapids organization, as well. I hope that most people remember that. I always try to be somebody that most people remember as a good person first, more than what’s on the field. I don't think you guys realize it, but you guys play a big role in everything that goes on here. So thank you to everybody at the club. It's not just the players and the coaching staff, it's everybody here that makes this club so special. So thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
