Soccer
Cyriel Dessers celebrates after scoring. Copyright: Imago
Super Eagles and Panathinaikos striker Cyriel Dessers has aired his displeasure about how he ended things with Rangers before joining the Greek side, Soccernet.ng reports.
Despite putting up decent numbers, his relationship with the Rangers fans blew hot and cold. The Belgium-born-Nigerian had a way of making simple things look hard and hard things look easy in his time at Ibrox.
The 31-year-old scored 22 goals and provided seven assists in 54 games in his first campaign in Scotland, but the rocky relationship with the club forced him to consider options from other clubs.
His second season was even better as he was involved in 35 goals for the Gers, but the club betrayed his trust, and he had to find that somewhere else.
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Speaking in an interview with Rangers Review, the AFCON 2025 bronze winner revealed the club contacted him about their opinions of his potential exit, showing no interest in wanting him to stay.
“I got injured in the Scottish Cup final [of 2024]. But I remember that summer, I went home and thought ’22 goals,” Cyriel Dessers said.
“I fought back from a situation where I was almost dead and buried’.
“I thought I showed that at least I deserved the chance to be the number one striker for Rangers in the next season.
At the start of the following season, Rangers were willing to part ways with the former Cremonese striker if an offer came in. However, he chose to stay before leaving the following year.
“Then I got a little bit of a confusing message from my agent a few days before the pre-season.
“The club had said, ‘We’re happy with Cyriel. He’s professional. He’s working hard. He’s correct. But if he wants to leave or if a good offer comes, then he’s allowed to leave.’
“I thought that was a very strange message. That summer was weird. Some clubs came in, but I said, ‘No, I want to fight for my chance at Rangers’.
“But from this moment, I’m not sure I felt the full confidence from the coaching staff or club, but I thought I will fight and see.
“In January [2025], it was again complicated. The club told me I could leave on loan but it didn’t really [materialise].
“So I stayed and then there was like an agreement – ‘OK, after two seasons, the cycle is a little bit wrapped up.
“You did your job. You scored your goals. If a good offer comes in in the summer, we will let you go,” Dessers concluded.
Rangers have lost their last three games in the SPFL and are mathematically out of the title race, leaving Celtic and Hearts as it heads down to the wire.
Adefolahan Guerreiro
Adefolahan is a multilingual CAF-Accredited sports journalist and football writer whose work spans outlets like Soccernet Nigeria, Pure Football UK, and Royalsportz.
With a sharp eye for detail and a background in college sports, he tells the African football story with depth, flair, and global perspective.
Fluent in English, Spanish, and German, he brings a cross-cultural voice to his coverage, blending insight with accessibility for readers around the world.
His portfolio includes interviews with top Nigerian stars like Finidi George, Junior Lokosa, Sikiru Alimi, Sodiq Ismaila, and Abraham Onahi Ogbu.
A devoted Borussia Dortmund fan, Adefolahan thrives on the emotion and rhythm of the beautiful game. Away from work, he’s a sci-fi enthusiast and series lover who enjoys exploring how sport, storytelling, and culture collide.
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