“Big relief to finally be here” – Cyriel Dessers happy to join Rangers

Super Eagles striker Cyriel Dessers has expressed his excitement about joining Scottish club Rangers from Serie A outfit US Cremonese.

Following his unveiling on Thursday, Dessers stated that he is “really happy” to be at the club.

According to Rangers’ official statement, Dessers was signed “on a four-year deal for an undisclosed fee, subject to international clearance.”

The former Genk striker joins the club ahead of the 2023/24 season, becoming Michael Beale’s sixth signing of the summer transfer window.

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Dessers has tangible experience playing across Europe. He has featured for Belgian Pro-League sides OH Leuven, Lokeren and Genk. The 28-year-old has also played for Dutch sides Utrecht, Heracles Almelo and Feyenoord.

During his time at Feyenoord in 2021/22, Dessers was named UEFA Europa Conference League top goalscorer. He scored 10 goals to earn himself a place in the competition’s team of the season.

Born in Belgium, Dessers is a Nigerian international who has been capped four times for the Super Eagles.

“…it is a great feeling to finally be here”

Speaking after signing for Rangers, Dessers said: “I am really happy, it is a big relief to finally be here. There have been some long days and some stressful days, but it is a great feeling to finally be here.

“The history of the club, the fans, the stadium, it’s massive but next to that I look at what is here at this moment. I had really good talks with Michael Beale about his plans, the ideas of what he wants on and off the pitch and I thought that could be a really good fit for me and for the team so I am happy to be here.”

Manager Michael Beale commented: “We are delighted to have Cyriel joining our club. He brings a lot of experience from playing in Holland, Belgium and Italy, as well as in European competitions.

“We were looking for a very specific profile. We believe that Cyriel will give us a variety of qualities both in and out of possession. When we met, we spoke at length about his alignment to our style of play. And the other forwards we have in our squad.

“At 28 years old, he is at a good age and will bring personality and leadership to our team. Cyriel pushed extremely hard to make this transfer a reality and showed a huge desire to come here.

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“We are very happy to have him and his family joining us at Rangers. He is an excellent addition to our squad and I look forward to working with him over the coming seasons.”