Cyriel Dessers admits his struggles in front of goal “got under my skin”, but the Rangers forward is confident he can now go on a scoring run.
The Nigeria international scored just three goals in his first 15 matches for the Gers after joining in the summer for a reported £5.4million fee from Cremonese [The Herald].
Having come in for plenty of criticism in the early stages of his Ibrox career, Dessers found the net in Philippe Clement’s first game in charge.
After scoring in the 4-0 victory against Hibernian on Saturday [21 October], the 28-year-old is now hopeful of bagging goals more regularly.
“At a certain moment, it got under my skin and it affects your confidence a little bit,” he is quoted as saying by STV News [23 October].
“But luckily, I’ve been through this before in my career and I know my qualities, I know what I can do and I know I will show them this season.
I’ve scored my whole life; I know I can score goals. If I do the things right, everywhere, on each level, I will make my goals.
“I’m sure that will happen at Rangers as well, but I need to do the things right and I’m sure the coach and this team will help me with that.”
Lift-off
Dessers was supposed to be Rangers’ go-to man up top after being brought in for a fairly sizable fee, but that was previously far from the case.
The appointment of Clement as Michael Beale’s successor may have changed all that, though, if his goal at the weekend is anything to go by.
Dessers wasted a good opportunity and had another couple of shots blocked, but his goal – a calmly taken one – eventually arrived late on.
That ended his four-match streak without scoring, and the aim now will be to net in back-to-back games for the first time as a Rangers player.
Dessers does not exactly have the most prolific of records across his career, the exception being the 15 goals scored for Heracles in 2019-20.
If he can have that sort of impact in Eredivisie, then there is certainly hope of him smashing the double-goals barrier in the Scottish Premiership for Rangers.
All going to plan, that strike against Hibs will help to truly kickstart his career in Glasgow.
