“He should fight to keep him” — Kris Boyd tasks Rangers to keep Cyriel Dessers

By Monsurah Olatunji

Former Rangers star Kris Boyd has urged manager Philippe Clement to resist the temptation of selling Cyriel Dessers, praising the Nigerian forward for his vital contributions to the team, especially his standout performance against Manchester United in the Europa League.

Dessers, who has often come on as a substitute this season, has scored crucial goals for the club, including a key goal against Manchester United in Europe. The Super Eagles forward entered that match following his first-ever hat trick for Rangers in a 6-0 Scottish Cup win over Fraserburgh.

Despite his impressive performances, Dessers has struggled to secure a regular spot in the starting lineup, with Hamza Igamane now occupying the first-choice striker role. In search of more playing time, Dessers has been linked with a potential move away from Ibrox, especially with the January transfer window open.

However, Boyd believes that allowing Dessers to leave would be a mistake, especially considering his recent form and the club’s current striker situation.

“I don’t agree with that at all,” Boyd said, speaking to The Scottish Sun.

“If Philippe Clement wants success between now and the end of May, he should fight to keep him. The Nigerian international turns up for his work every single day, he’s always available, and he scores goals — 17 of them so far this season. Do not underestimate how important that is for this squad.”

Boyd also pointed out that Rangers could find themselves in a difficult situation if Dessers departs, given the club’s striker shortage. With Danilo injured again, Clement currently has just Hamza Igamane and Dessers as first-team options up front.

“Rangers need to be careful, though. With Danilo injured again, Clement only has Hamza Igamane and Dessers as first-team strikers,” Boyd continued. “The Moroccan has massive potential and has emerged as an important player for Clement in recent months.”

As the January transfer window continues to unfold, it remains to be seen whether Dessers will remain at Rangers or seek a move elsewhere. However, Boyd’s comments underline the importance of Dessers to the team’s overall success as they aim for silverware this season.

Samuel Ahmadu

Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.

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