Cyriel Dessers has responded to criticism he faced from Rangers fans early on in his time at Ibrox, calling it “abuse” at times.
The Nigerian striker, who joined Rangers from Cremonese last summer for a reported £5 million, struggled to find his footing initially as Michael Beale’s rebuild got off to a slow start.
Dessers himself admitted his start wasn’t ideal. “The start was not easy,” Dessers told Sky Sports. “Not only for me, I think for the whole team, the whole club probably.”
However, the 29-year-old took aim at the treatment he received from some fans. “I’ve been through a really hard period in that time personally,” he continued. “You arrive here and the amount of, I think that’s the right word, abuse, sometimes still is abuse, is unbelievable.”
Dessers remained confident in his abilities though, insisting he just needed time to adjust. “But I always said it, let me settle down, let me move in, let me get used to this league, let me get used to this country…then I will show that I think that I can be a good striker for Rangers.”
The stats seem to back up his claim. “These first months until this manager came I think I scored three goals,” Dessers said. “Since he’s here I think I’ve scored 18 plus five assists.”
“I think those stats a little bit, they tell my story,” he added. While Dessers acknowledges his personal success, he remains focused on the team’s goals. “I think overall it hasn’t been a bad season personally for me but I don’t really care too much about personal accolades, I just want trophies and team victories. That’s what I work for every day.”