In a season of high-pressure criticism, Cyriel Dessers has been of the most maligned Rangers players of the campaign.
The Rangers hitman has certainly endured a mixed spell in Glasgow but over the piece, it’s hard to deny Cyriel Dessers’ contribution to the cause this season.
The £4.5m price tag – and a series of devastating injuries in the forward areas – have heaped the pressure on the striker who hasn’t always taken his opportunities.
But with goal number 22 for the season coming as Rangers’ Premiership season was finally ended by Celtic, the nature of the defeat has overshadowed a landmark moment for the striker.
Dessers: Rangers’ Celtic record cost club title
Whilst Cyriel Dessers got off the mark in the Old Firm, there’s been scant analysis of the striker’s goal.
In fact, even as Rangers prepared to face Dundee and the forward was put out on press duties, there wasn’t even a question on his first derby strike.
Not that the striker was interested in talking about it.
In his characteristically selfless style, Cyriel Dessers was instead much more focused on analysing the game and believes that Rangers’ Old Firm record against Celtic has been the difference in the Scottish Premiership this season.
Even if the striker believes the team has been unlucky.
“I think if you look at the four games separately they were really close games every time,” said Dessers.
“I think games where we deserved more than we got but that’s also a part of football.
“We were unlucky sometimes with some decisions or key moments but that’s part of football.
“It’s also up to us that we should’ve done more in these games.
“I think overall in the league we took more points against the ten other teams than they did but you see if you look at the table now you see these games are making the difference.”
Rangers striker matches Celtic hero
Rangers players who can score and affect Old Firm games have been few and far between as of late.
James Tavernier has been a regular contributor – even if its normally after a brain fart of his own – whilst Ryan Kent was the club’s go-to man against Celtic until the summer.
Kemar Roofe hasn’t played enough to realistically comment and Alfredo Morelos famously took 15 games to score in the fixture.
Celtic meanwhile have been able to call on Kyogo Furuhashi to be the match winner when Rangers face their Old Firm rivals.
Scoring seven goals against Rangers in a calendar year, what they won’t tell you is that it actually took Furuhashi four games to net his maiden Old Firm strike.
This is the same number of games it took Cyriel Dessers, who is now off the derby mark in harsher circumstances for Rangers.
It’s all about how the striker presses on from here.
Whilst Cyriel’s first Old Firm goal slipped under the Celtic Park radar, should the big man be the Scottish Cup hero for Rangers at Hampden something tells us the reaction will be different.
