Cole Bassett officially joins Dutch side Feyenoord on loan

Cole Bassett has a new home. He’ll be living and playing in the Netherlands.

The Littleton native officially joined Feyenoord, one of the giants of Dutch soccer, on an 18-month loan Thursday. In addition, the Rapids announced Bassett had signed a three-year contract extension through the 2024 season. If Bassett were to be transferred in the future, the Rapids will retain a sell-on percentage fee.

Feyenoord even gave him a new nickname: Cool Kid Cole.

“We’re incredibly proud of Cole for having earned this opportunity to pursue his dream of playing in Europe,” Rapids general manager Pádraig Smith said in a club statement. “It’s a testament to his talent, his performances here with the Rapids and his dedication to continually improve as a player. This move also reflects our steadfast commitment to develop young players and provide a pathway to the highest levels of the game. We look forward to seeing Cole’s continued growth and wish him all the best as he takes this next step in his career.”

Bassett becomes the second American to ever play for the club and is the first since former Colorado Rapids defender Cory Gibbs played for the Rotterdam side from 2004-06. The move, first reported last week, was finalized earlier Thursday after Bassett passed his medical exam, where he has been in Rotterdam since Tuesday.

Bassett joined the Rapids Academy in 2017, after he spent his youth career playing for Colorado Rush. He made his Major League Soccer debut at the age of 17 back in 2018, while still a senior at Chatfield High School. He went on to make 72 appearances with the Rapids, producing 13 goals and 11 assists.

There was speculation he would move to Benfica of Portugal last summer, but he turned the deal down for one last run with the Rapids, who finished first in the Western Conference and reached the second round of the MLS Cup playoffs. After the season, rumors started to circulate again, and Feyenoord emerged the winner.

He becomes the second homegrown Rapids player to make the move overseas. Sam Vines, a defender from Colorado Springs, also made the jump to Europe last season and is now playing with Royal Antwerp F.C. in Belgium.

The two celebrated the occasion together with a photo, which Vines posted to Instagram, saying “Good to see you again my bro. Welcome to Europe”.

“Cole is a typical box-to-box player with enormous running ability,” Feyenoord Sporting Director Frank Arnesen said in a club statement. “That means he can be an important link in a team both offensively and defensively. In addition, he is quite comfortable on the ball with both legs. He has what it takes to take the next steps in his development here at Feyenoord and become an even more complete player. He also gets that time and that confidence.”

Per the statement, Bassett will not be part of this weekend’s game against NEC Nijmegen.

As part of the final send-off, the Rapids put together a highlight reel and thanked Bassett for his best moments as a member of the Burgundy Boys.

Fans will be able to watch both Bassett and Vines on ESPN Plus.