Latest news with #Cyriel
Daily Record
5 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
Kemar Roofe fires Rangers regret warning over Cyriel Dessers as he pinpoints critical moment in Ibrox career
The Nigeria international splits opinion among the Ibrox legions and his old team-mate has given the lowdown Kemar Roofe fears Rangers could live to regret selling Cyriel Dessers. The current Ibrox number nine is on the verge of a move to Greek outfit AEK Athens for around £4 million. Rangers look set to get their money back on the 30-year-old who has bagged 51 goals in two seasons at Gers. If Dessers goes, new gaffer Russell Martin will be charged with finding a replacement up front and has already been linked with moves for Israeli ace Dor Turgeman and Croatian hit-man Matija Frigan. However, former Rangers striker Roofe - who played alongside Dessers at Ibrox - believes the Nigerian international will be a big loss. He insists his old club must find a player who can replicate Dessers' goal return on the pitch - as well as his character and resilience off it. In an exclusive interview with Record Sport, Roofe said: 'I rated Cyriel highly at Rangers. First and foremost, he's a good human being. 'A really good guy and brilliant for the squad. He has lots of respect for everyone. 'Cyriel worked really hard to get his goals and I think some players end up with unfair opinions on them. 'He was definitely one of them at Rangers. The thing about Cyriel is that when he was criticised - it didn't affect him. 'He just kept going and that's massive as a player. Everyone will get criticised at some point but it's how you handle it. 'Cyriel handed it tremendously. He's got the character and personality to be a Rangers player. 'Could they regret selling him if he goes? Yeah, because goals are goals - and you have to replace them. 'It depends who Rangers bring in his place. If they get someone who can score more than Cyriel it will be the right decision. 'But if they don't, it'll be the wrong decision. We'll find out at the end of this season.' Roofe spent a year with Dessers at Ibrox under ex-boss Michael Beale before leaving last summer. The 32-year-old - who was the club's top scorer in Rangers' 2021 title win and reached the Europa League Final in 2022 - was impressed by his strike partner's attitude at Ibrox. Because Roofe says some players, unlike Dessers, couldn't handle the expectations at such a big club. He said: 'At Rangers, it all comes down to whether players - or staff - can handle the pressure there. If you can't handle it and you crumble, you get found out by the fans. 'And as soon as they see it, you're finished. It takes a special kind of character to play for Rangers under that pressure. 'From my experience at Rangers, Leeds, Anderlecht - massive clubs where the pressure is huge - it's all about winning. Just win, win, win, that's all that matters. 'Anything less is no good. Being able to deal with that demand every day is tough. But if you can't do it, the fans will see it and eventually it affects results. 'I saw it with players at Rangers, many times. Players who couldn't handle it. But not everyone is built the same. There are strengths and weaknesses in every team.' In Roofe's last season at Ibrox, he played alongside Dessers in a controversial Old Firm derby defeat in September 2023. Dessers dispossessed Celtic defender Gustaf Lagerbielke and set up Roofe to score - only for it to be chalked off for a foul by the Nigerian. Rangers lost the game 1-0 to a Kyogo Furuhashi strike and then-gaffer Michael Beale was sacked later that season. But Roofe says the Dessers decision was harsh - and a pivotal moment for Beale and the club. He said: 'What I remember is that it should have been a goal when Cyriel played me in - and we should have won that game. 'It was a huge moment for Michael. If that goal had stood and we'd have beaten Celtic, things could have been a lot different for him at the club." ** Kemar Roofe has launched his own football journal at **
The Herald Scotland
12-06-2025
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
How Russell Martin reshuffle will aid Rangers striker Cyriel Dessers
However, Kris Boyd, who spent two spells at his boyhood heroes and knows just how demanding his fellow Light Blues fans can be, believes the criticism of the £4m centre forward has been unjustified. Read more: He is confident that new manager Martin can help the man who was the leading scorer in the Premiership last term despite often cutting an isolated figure up front by himself if he commits more men forward. Speaking at a McDonald's Fun Football session at Hampden, Boyd said, 'Russell has said he is looking forward to seeing which members of his squad surprise him once pre-season starts – but I don't think Cyriel needs to surprise anyone. (Image: SNS/SFA) 'He's scored over 50 goals during his two seasons at Rangers He is not the problem. There are other strikers in there who should be doing more and who cost a lot more money. Danilo should be doing more for me, there's no getting away from it. 'Hamza Igamane has shown what he is capable of in spells. He's come in and he's done well at times, but then his form hasn't been at the same level. But I get that. It was his first real season in this environment so you're probably going to get little spurts where he goes on a run and then times when he struggles.' Read more: He added, 'There's one thing about Dessers. He's always there. He's always available. He's like every other striker, he'll miss chances from time to time. But it doesn't seem to faze him. He'll always go back for more. 'So for me Russell has already got someone there who's shown he can score goals. In Scotland, we are quick to criticise people for virtually anything. But Cyriel always goes back for more when he misses. 'I think Russell will be looking to see if he can get players closer to Cyriel, to have players more in contact with him. If he can do that then you might see a better level of performance on a more consistent basis from Dessers.' Boyd is hopeful the long-standing McDonald Fun Football programme will produce a few more players who are capable of following in his footsteps and leading the line for Rangers in the years to come. 'Programmes like McDonald's Fun Football are important for communities across Scotland,' he said. 'They give children a safe, positive place to just play the game and have fun. 'McDonald's are offering more free sessions this summer across Scotland and it's brilliant to see. I wish I had this when I was a youngster, I would've loved it. I'd encourage every parent to not miss out and to get their child signed up to their nearest free session.' Kris Boyd was celebrating the latest free wave of McDonald's Fun Football sessions this Summer, available to all children aged 5-11 across the UK. You can sign up now for your nearest free session at
Glasgow Times
07-06-2025
- Sport
- Glasgow Times
Ex-Rangers manager comments on treatment of Cyriel Dessers
The Nigerian finished last season as the Scottish Premiership's top scorer with 18 goals in 35 games. Clement, who was dismissed as manager in February following a 2-0 defeat to St Mirren at Ibrox, recently commented on Dessers and the treatment he receives from fans. Read more: He told BBC Scotland: "I think Cyriel gets abused like nobody else in the club, or on the pitch at least. "But he was always there to work hard and to do everything for the club every day, every training, every game. "Also in this period in his career, he never scored as many goals as he did at Rangers for the teams he played for in the past. "So in the end, he performed really well with his qualities. "He was top scorer I think at the end of this season. "Of course fans always want more. "Cyriel, if he'd played in a team that had won the league, then he would be for everybody a good player. "But if you don't win the league then you are not a good player anymore." He added: "That's life at Rangers." Russell Martin was named as the permanent successor to Clement on Thursday. The 39-year-old has signed a three-year deal at Ibrox as a new era begins in Govan.
The National
07-06-2025
- Sport
- The National
Clement makes claim about Rangers supporters' treatment of Dessers
The Nigerian finished last season as the Scottish Premiership's top scorer with 18 in 35 games. Ex-manager Clement, who was sacked at the end of February off the back of a 2-0 defeat to St Mirren at Ibrox, recently weighed in on Dessers and how supporters treat him. Read more: "I think Cyriel gets abused like nobody else in the club, or on the pitch at least," he told BBC Scotland. "But he was always there to work hard and to do everything for the club every day, every training, every game. "Also in this period in his career, he never scored as many goals as he did at Rangers for the teams he played for in the past. "So in the end, he performed really well with his qualities. He was top scorer I think at the end of this season. "Of course fans always want more. Cyriel, if he'd played in a team that had won the league, then he would be for everybody a good player. "But if you don't win the league then you are not a good player anymore. "That's life at Rangers. That's also the life that fans can have. "It's only as a club you need to see two things; you need to look at this rationally and not emotionally." Russell Martin was named as the permanent successor to Clement on Thursday. The 39-year-old has penned a three-year deal at Ibrox as a new era begins in Govan.
