“NPFL? Why not?” — Cyriel Dessers open to ending career in Nigeria

By Dayo Awoniyi

Nigeria striker Cyriel Dessers has revealed that a move to the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) is on his radar as a possible destination before the end of his professional career.

Dessers scored 22 goals across all competitions for Rangers last season and remains a key figure in the club’s attacking line.

His suggestion of a possible NPFL stint in the future adds to a growing trend of European-based Nigerian stars considering moves back to the domestic league, a development that could significantly boost local interest and international visibility for the NPFL.

The 29-year-old forward, who currently plays for Rangers in the Scottish Premiership, made the statement in a recent interview with Sportsboom, where he reflected on the potential locations for the final chapter of his football journey.

“It’s a hard choice, but let me say a place like Japan, the United States, South Africa, or Nigeria. It would be nice to play there,” Dessers said.

The Netherlands-born striker has played in Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, and Scotland, and has long expressed a strong connection to his Nigerian heritage.

His openness to joining the NPFL has sparked excitement among local fans, who would welcome a player of his caliber to the domestic league.

While speculation continues around a potential move to Olympiacos or other European clubs, Dessers reaffirmed his commitment to Rangers, where he still has two years remaining on his contract.

“I still have two years left on my contract with Rangers. It’s a fantastic club, and I’m happy there,” he said.

On rumours of a possible transfer, the striker responded with measured confidence.

“When you score that number of goals, it’s normal for other teams to show interest. I’ve seen the rumours, but I don’t know anything specific about that. These kinds of talks are normal.”

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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