Delirious Dessers elated after hitting 50 goals in Rangers colours, draws praise from Ferguson

Super Eagles and Rangers striker, Cyriel Kolawole Dessers, was elated after he scored his 50th goal for the club in his side's 3-1 win over Dundee United last night, Soccernet.ng reports.

The 30-year-old has blown hot and cold since moving to Ibrox in the summer of 2023, and the Gers fans have been continuously split in their opinions of him. While some cheer him on for his hard work, others think he's not prolific enough.

Dessers was put up for sale by the club in the winter transfer window, but he's gone from strength to strength since then, showing his mental fortitude by breaking his career-high goalscoring record. He scored his 50th goal for Rangers from the spot last night after initially scoring a brilliant header.

Cyriel Dessers with his 27th goal in all competitions for Rangers.

Eric Chelle should invite him for the Unity Cup in London.

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— Adepoju Tobi Samuel (@OgaNlaMedia) May 14, 2025

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50 goals and 16 assists in 108 games for the biggest club in Scotland is certainly a feat to be proud of, and the former Cremonese forward was delighted with his accomplishment.

“It is very pleasing. As I mentioned before, it's been a season with ups and downs, too many for everybody's wishes, but it's nice to end on a positive feeling here at Ibrox, and I know it doesn't make up for the whole season, but it's a nice feeling.

“You know, in these games, you can see it also in their players, that they are getting more tired and spaces are getting bigger, so you need to keep your patience and keep the quality high.

“I think we did that, also with the guys that came in. That is also good, if you can score two goals [in the second half], it is great, and you have total control of the game,” the ex-Genk striker said in quotes relayed by Rangers' official website.

Dessers' header was his 49th goal for the record Scottish Champions, but it was the sacrifice of James Tavernier that set him up for the 50th. The Rangers captain allowed the Super Eagles attacker to take the spot kick, and Dessers thanked him.

“We spoke about it a little bit earlier in the week, and I have to thank him for letting me take it. It's a beautiful moment for me, the 50th goal, and to score it here at Ibrox. That's something I am very proud of, and it's a big milestone in my career.

“It's been a season with a few bumps, maybe a little bit too many, but I think it was a nice moment after the game for everybody – the fans, the players and the staff,” the Belgium-born Nigerian concluded.

Rangers head coach, Barry Ferguson, was delighted for Dessers, and even more so for the act of selflessness by James Tavernier.

“He [Dessers] comes in for unfair criticism, in my opinion. One thing about him is that he always gives 100 percent, and his goal return this season has been phenomenal.

“He has 28 goals this season, and I am delighted for him. I’m sure he’ll want me to start him on Saturday so he can hopefully get one or two more.

“About the penalty, I was a bit surprised. Normally, Tav steps up and puts those in the back of the net, but fair play to him. He understands that it means a lot to Cyriel, but I was just thinking to myself, he better score, and thankfully, he did. I am delighted for Cyriel and delighted for the boys to finish off the season with a home win,” the former Scotland midfielder said in his post-match conference.

Dessers has now scored 28 goals and provided seven assists in 54 games across all competitions for Rangers this season, beating his record of 22 goals and seven assists in 54 games last term.