For all the noise that followed his exit, it is only now that Rangers are starting to feel the full weight of losing Cyriel Dessers, Footynaija.com reports.
The Super Eagles striker, often criticised in Glasgow, seems to have taken the club’s attacking spark with him to Greece. Meanwhile, his former side has crumbled, winning just once in seven league games and now parting ways with head coach Russell Martin.
Appointed in June, the former Southampton boss arrived promising energy and better football, but those words faded fast. Rangers’ Champions League hopes ended in the playoff round, and performances in the league were lifeless.
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As confirmed in a report by The Sun, the board acted after Saturday’s draw, holding crisis talks that led to his dismissal.
It is hard to ignore how much Rangers have lost in attack since Dessers left for Panathinaikos in early September. The Nigerian had become an easy target in Scotland. He was mocked for missing chances, picked apart by pundits, and even booed by sections of the Ibrox crowd.
A widely circulated rant after a defeat called him “wasteful,” while teammate Leon Balogun publicly defended him, calling the treatment “disrespectful.” That summed up his final months — a striker under siege.
Yet numbers rarely lie. Dessers scored 52 goals in all competitions for Rangers and topped the Scottish Premiership scoring chart last season with 18 goals. He was not always perfect, but he was productive, leading the line through injury setbacks and coaching changes.
By the time Martin took charge, he only managed a few training sessions with him before the club decided to cash in.
In Athens, the 30-year-old has wasted no time reminding people of his worth. He scored the winning goal in the Greek Cup against Athens Kallithea, and followed up with another strike in the heated derby with Olympiacos — the kind of stage he once relished in Glasgow.
Dessers’ revival has also caught the attention of Super Eagles boss Eric Chelle, who continues to include him in Nigeria’s World Cup qualifiers. He remains one of the forwards trusted to share the load with Victor Osimhen.
