“He’ll hit those heights” – Former Rangers midfielder backs Dessers for success following Super Eagles exclusion

Former Rangers and Canada midfielder, Scott Nathaniel Artfield, has backed Super Eagles striker, Cyriel Kolawole Dessers, to become a mainstay in Scotland following his recent form, Soccernet.ng reports.

The 30-year-old striker, in his debut season with the Gers, scored 22 goals across all competitions despite being under fire for the majority of the campaign.

This season, Dessers has racked up the same number of goals under even worse situations with two months of football left to play. Additionally, he’s been vital in the UEFA Europa League for Barry Ferguson’s side.

Cyriel Dessers celebrates after scoring the first goal of his team during the UEFA Europa League match between Fenerbahce SK and Rangers FC at Ulker Sukru Saracoglu Stadium on March 6, 2025. [Photo Credit/ Imago].

Get Our Sports News First – Join Our WhatsApp Channel Now!

Despite his improvement, the former Cremonese striker was omitted from Eric Chelle’s 23-man squad for the March International Break.

Van De Perre Kamiel midfielder of Royale Union Saint-Gilloise, Cyriel Dessers forward of Rangers FC in action during the UEFA Europa League 2024/25 League Phase MD8. [Photo Credit/ Imago].

What Artfield said about Dessers

Artfield, who donned the Rangers jersey between 2018 and 2023, revealed Dessers still has more to give, and has been unfairly scrutinized about his performances.

“Cyriel Dessers – who gets a raw deal at times in my eyes – is nowhere near as bad as player as some critics claim while Hamza perhaps hasn’t been as good as some of the hype has suggested, but there’s a player in there alright – he just needs to keep grating like the Buff and hopefully he’ll hit those heights,” the former Burnley man wrote in his column with the Daily Record.

Dundee United v Rangers William Hill Premiership Cyriel Dessers and Nedim Bajrami of Rangers thank fans at full time during the William Hill Premiership match at Tannadice, Dundee UK. [Photo Credit/ Imago].
Dessers wasn’t the only Rangers player omitted from Chelle’s team. Leon Balogun, who in recent times declared that he still wants to play for Nigeria wasn’t even included in the 39-man provisional squad list.

Nonetheless, the Super Eagles have thrived so far, selection regardless. They sealed a 2-0 win over the Amavubi of Rwanda last Friday.

Adefolahan Guerreiro

Adefolahan is a multilingual journalist and writer at Soccernet Nigeria. With a track record of involvement in College sports, Adefolahan is focused on crafting engaging football content and utilising his language skills and extensive sports knowledge to enhance content accessibility for a global audience. He has interviewed Nigerian stars like Finidi George, Junior Lokosa, and Abraham Onahi Ogbu.

Recent Posts

FIFA WCQ: Five Super Eagles Stars to watch against Zimbabwe

The Super Eagles of Nigeria are set to face the Warriors of Zimbabwe on Tuesday… Read More

33 minutes ago

What Zimbabwe will do to Super Eagles in Uyo – Ex-Bayern Munich defender

Former Bayern Munich defender and current Benin Republic head coach, Gernot Rohr, has issued a… Read More

2 hours ago

Rwanda FA say sorry after Super Eagles humbling, offer fans compensation

The Rwanda Football Federation (FERWAFA) has issued a public apology to supporters following the national… Read More

3 hours ago

Super Eagles striker formerly on Roma and West Ham’s radar to play again 240 days after ACL injury

Super Eagles striker Terem Moffi is set to return to action on Wednesday, 240 days… Read More

4 hours ago

Arokodare pays homage to his brother’s record label, sings Ycee’s ‘Juice’ at Super Eagles initiation

Super Eagles newcomer Tolu Arokodare brought the vibes to camp during his initiation ceremony as… Read More

6 hours ago

Spotted! Zimbabwe players jam to Davido’s ‘If’ ahead of Super Eagles clash in Uyo – Video

Soccernet.ng has spotted Zimbabwean players enjoying some Nigerian vibes while on a flight from Lagos… Read More

7 hours ago