Dessers eyes UEL glory with Rangers
Super Eagles striker Cyriel Dessers has set his sights on Europa League glory with Rangers after winning the club’s Goal of the Month award for January, NewsNGR Sports Extra reports.
The 30-year-old claimed the award for his stunning 83rd-minute strike in Rangers’ 2-1 UEFA Europa League defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford, where he expertly controlled James Tavernier’s long pass before outmuscling Harry Maguire and finishing into the bottom corner.
Having helped Rangers secure automatic qualification for the Europa League last 16, Dessers believes the Scottish giants can achieve something special in the competition.
“We’re still competing in three different competitions, and I believe the confidence we’ve gained from the European matches is significant, especially with making it to the top eight,” Dessers said as quotes by BBC.
“Against some very good teams, we showed we can compete. I think we had the most difficult programme of everybody in the Europa League and still we got into the top eight. That is a massive achievement.
“There are no easy games but the more you progress, the more it becomes 50-50, even against big clubs. Everything is possible in a quarter-final or a semi-final.”
The striker’s European ambitions are backed by experience, having previously reached the Europa Conference League final with Feyenoord in 2022, just a week after Rangers fell to Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League final.
Dessers has been in scintillating form recently, registering five goals and two assists in his last five matches, taking his season’s tally to 18 goals and five assists in 35 appearances.
This impressive run follows a challenging period in early January when his Rangers future seemed uncertain amid interest from Italian clubs.
“At the beginning of the month I was not playing a lot,” he admitted.
“As a striker on double figures, there is going to be interest. Teams were asking ‘is something possible?’ But I am here now three weeks later and I’m very happy.
“I didn’t want to leave, but I want to play. The last few weeks I’ve been getting into better form, the team as well.”
The Belgian-born Nigerian, who has netted 40 goals in 89 appearances since joining Rangers 18 months ago, acknowledged facing challenges with fan support earlier in the season.
“Yeah, that’s not easy,” Dessers said about being booed by fans during a recent clash with Aberdeen.
“That’s quite hard to take, but on the other hand, I’ve had a lot of positive interaction as well with fans around the stadium in the city and I try to take that to heart.”
The striker demonstrated his value again last weekend, scoring a stunning late goal in Rangers’ 3-1 victory at Dundee United, firing high across the goalkeeper into the top corner after being set up by Zak Lovelace for his eighth league goal of the campaign.
Next up for Dessers and Rangers is a Scottish Cup fifth-round clash against Queen’s Park on Sunday (today), with the striker eager to add to his cup tally after netting a hat-trick in the previous round against Fraserburgh.
“We are even more aware that this is a big opportunity,” said Dessers.
“I am feeling well at this moment but in the last few games I think the whole team shares this feeling. There are a lot of positive vibes.”
