Cyriel Dessers, Rangers forward and former player in Italy, turns 29 today. The Belgian player, who is of Nigerian descent, started his career playing in his home country before moving to the Netherlands, where he achieved his best goalscoring record. Playing for various teams such as Breda, Utrecht, Heracles, and Feyenoord, Dessers gained valuable experience and proved his ambition to succeed at the highest level.
In a previous interview with Sky Sport, Dessers stated, “I consider myself a versatile forward, I can play with my back to the goal or by getting between the lines. I can score with either foot and I have scored numerous headers; I am a well-rounded striker without being spectacular at anything specifically.”
A year ago, Dessers made the move to Serie A, joining newly-promoted Cremonese. Upon his arrival, he shared his excitement with supporters, “It’s like being a child on Christmas Eve, thinking about the gifts to unwrap in the morning. That’s how I feel at this moment—I have always dreamed of playing in the Serie A, one of the most prestigious leagues in the world. It will be a stimulating challenge for me, full of obstacles but also motivations. We must stand together and face every battle, defending our colours. I’m eager, let’s dare to dream together, Cremonese.”
However, his time in Italy was not all plain sailing. Despite earning positive reviews in his debut game against Firenze, the rest of the first half of the season was a difficult journey with a team that struggled against superior opposition. Dessers admitted his struggles in Serie A in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, “Serie A is a tough league and there are tough opponents for a newly promoted team. It’s harder than the Dutch and Belgian leagues, but I knew that. Coming from clubs accustomed to fighting for the title, it won’t be easy. I haven’t scored yet but I was close a few times against Roma and Sassuolo.”
His tenure in Italy saw him score seven goals overall, but his team failed to avoid relegation. Despite these ups and downs, Dessers packed his bags this summer and headed for Scotland to join the Rangers.
On joining the Rangers, Dessers revealed his optimism and excitement by saying, “I am really happy, it’s a great relief to finally be here. There were long and stressful days, but it feels good to finally be here. The club’s history, the fans, the stadium, it’s all massive, but alongside that I look at what’s here at the moment. I had good talks with Michael Beale about his plans, his ideas on and off the pitch and I thought it could really be a good fit for me and the team, so I am happy to be here.”
So far in the Scottish Premiership, Dessers has scored four goals. In the Rangers’ last match, a victory over Hearts, Dessers sat on the bench and watched his team’s win.