Cyriel Dessers, a successful export of Belgium's fertile football breeding ground. Born on 8 December 1994 (age 29), begins his narrative as a 1.85m (6ft) tall, 80kg (12st 8lb) striker for the Rangers; if his physique isn't imposing enough, he also dons the formidable number 9 jersey.
A footballing journeyman in the truest sense of the term, this Belgian battering ram will always be found quite literally at the helm. Start at the beginning then, shall we? Dessers got his professional introduction in January 2014, when he joined Oud-Heverlee Leuven in the Pro League in Belgium. A debut season that could generously be described as "patient," Dessers made a singular first team appearance.
Shortly thereafter, in July 2014, he packed his bags to transfer to KSC Lokeren. Here he made 15 appearances in his first season and ten in his next. Still, it was rather from goal-filled.
By July 2016, Dessers was off again, this time heading to NAC Breda in the Eredivisie in the Netherlands. Here things began to click into place. He started gobbling up pitch time, 36 first team appearances and scoring an impressive 22 goals in league matches.
In July 2017, Dessers got picked up by FC Utrecht for, what can only be described as a small fortune at around £300k. A return of 9 goals from 29 appearances in his first season settled any nerves, but a slump to 3 goals from 11 appearances had the alarm bells ringing in the second season.
Oh! It's July again and Dessers is off. This time he made his way to Heracles Almelo again in the Eredivisie for an undisclosed fee. A one-season wonder at the club, he made 26 first team appearances and netted 15 goals in league matches.
Dessers then swiped the Belgian dance card once more in July 2020, transferring to Genk in the Pro League. A whooping fee of £3.6m was quoted. A lethargic performance with 3 goals in 28 appearances and then repeating this form the season after.
In August 2021, Dessers was sent off for a season on loan at Feyenoord in the Netherlands where he managed 9 goals in 27 appearances. On his return to Genk though, his fortunes had not improved.
In August of 2022, Dessers again found a new home. This time on Italian soil with Serie B side Cremonese, for a steeper fee of £5.9m. The season saw him implement his skills to good effect, contributing six goals from 26 appearances.
However, Dessers had another move in his future. In July 2023, he took an even more ambitious leap and joined the Rangers in the Premiership in Scotland for a fee of around £4.5m. His current season with the Rangers has seen Dessers on a slightly more consistent track, with 16 goals in 35 appearances last season and already netting 3 in 7 games this campaign. Moreover, his contributions have also been significant in the League Cup, Scottish Cup, the Europa League, and the Champions League Qualifiers.
Dessers' career, then, has been as much about the pursuit of a fitting landscape as his skill with the football. It seems as though, with Rangers, both might finally be on the road to a richly-deserved harmony.
