Paul Clement defends Cyriel Dessers amid criticism from Rangers fans

By Oluwadamilola Olaleye

Former Rangers manager Paul Clement has come to the defense of Super Eagles striker Cyriel Dessers, who faced heavy criticism from fans despite finishing as the club’s top scorer in the 2024/25 season.

Clement, who previously worked with Dessers at Rangers before being replaced by Barry Ferguson mid-season, believes the forward’s contributions were undervalued largely because the team failed to win the league title.

“I think Cyriel gets abused like nobody else in the club—or on the pitch at least,” Clement told BBC Scotland via Daily Record.

“But he was always there to work hard and to do everything for the club every day, every training, every game. Also in this period in his career, he never scored as many goals as he did at Rangers for the teams he played for in the past.”

Dessers, 30, had a slow start to the campaign, with mounting pressure from supporters and speculation over a possible exit.

However, under Clement and later Ferguson, the Nigerian forward found form and ended the season as Rangers’ leading scorer.

“If he’d played in a team that had won the league, then he would be, for everybody, a good player,” Clement added.

“But if you don’t win the league, then you are not a good player anymore. That’s life at Rangers… but as a club, you need to look at this rationally, not emotionally.”

Despite his improved form, Dessers’ future at the club remains uncertain. While no official offers have been made, speculation continues regarding a potential summer departure.