“We had to tell him” – Cyriel Dessers opens up on his first impression of Rangers Emmanuel Fernandez

CYRIEL DESSERS celebrates after scoring the 1-0 during the match between Panathinaikos FC and Olympiacos FC. Copyright: ImagoxOneInchProductions

Super Eagles and Panathinaikos striker Cyriel Kolawole Dessers has admitted he was very impressed in his first training session with Rangers defender Emmanuel Fernandez, Soccernet.ng reports.

The pair had a brief time at Ibrox. The 24-year-old had only just joined from Sky Bet League One side Peterborough United, while Dessers was already linked with a Rangers exit at the time.

The Belgium-born Nigerian eventually joined Panathinaikos for €4.63m after playing seven games for the Gers.

Fernandez, meanwhile, had an unbelievable campaign in his first top-flight season as a professional footballer, scoring six goals in 31 games for Rangers while debuting for the Green and Whites of Nigeria.

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Speaking in an interview with the Rangers Review, the AFCON 2025 Bronze medallist revealed he always knew ‘Manny’ Fernandez would have a good breakout season at Ibrox.

“In terms of quality, there’s a good base in the current Rangers squad. We could all see his quality when he started training with us,” Cyriel Dessers said.

“He had a difficult start, but now he’s showing his quality. Like I said, we all saw it from the first day he walked into the club.

“For sure, but we also had to tell him that things at Rangers don’t always come easy even if you’re a good player.

“Now, you can see he took that, made incredible progress, and now he’s a Nigerian International as well, and that’s nice to see.

“I also like Nico [Raskin], and Tochi [Chukwuani] as well. If they can build on these guys, they’re not very far off from the league title,” the 31-year-old concluded.

After falling short in the run-in, losing to Motherwell, Hearts, and Celtic in the Old Firm derby, with two league games to spare, it is now mathematically impossible for Rangers to lift the SPFL.

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.