Super Eagles striker Cyriel Dessers has been impressed by the meteoric rise of Rangers teammate Nicolas Raskin, tipping the Belgian to earn himself a big move away from the Scottish Premiership sooner or later, Footynaija.com reports.
Raskin has enjoyed a brilliant campaign for the Sky Blues this term, especially following the appointment of Barry Ferguson on an interim basis. So far, the 24-year-old has made 39 appearances for Rangers, scoring twice and registering six assists.
Raskin’s performances earned him his first call-up to the Belgian national squad. He featured in both legs of Belgium’s Nations League playoffs against Ukraine, making his debut in the last ten minutes of a first leg 3-1 defeat before clocking the full 90 minutes during the second leg as the Red Devils offset their deficit with a 3-0 win on home soil.
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The former Standard Liege midfielder is now reportedly attracting attention from the Premier League courtesy of his performances. Aston Villa and Brentford are reportedly impressed by the Belgian’s consistency in the Scottish Premiership and the Europa League.
What Dessers said
Speaking on Sporza Daily, Nigeria international Dessers hailed Raskin for his obsession with the game and constant desire to better his craft.
“Nico is a very relaxed guy, but really obsessed with the game,” Dessers said. “He is always busy with the video analysts and asks questions to the trainer. That shows his enormous winning mentality.”
“He is a fighter on the field and he likes to work hard, run a lot and play good matches. He also works out in the gym and is busy with his body, he is a true professional.”
The Nigeria international also backed Raskin to thrive at a higher level.
“Of course I see him at work every day and he is a strong player in a team full of internationals. So I know he can handle that level,” he continued.
“He is doing really well and with this match at the Red Devils there will be interest from other teams. I sometimes have those conversations with him, also because I am older.
“I think he can go very far. In the Serie A I saw players in the 6 who are no better than Nico, so he can go to the sub-top in a top competition. But it is important to take the right step to a competition and a team that suits his style.
“But if he continues to evolve like this, it will happen automatically. Although we need him for the time being before he takes that big step.”
