Cyril Dessers admits Rangers’ trophyless season is ‘very painful’ | OneFootball

Cyriel Dessers was proud to score his milestone 50th Rangers goal in the 3-1 win against Dundee United but admits the paucity of resultant silverware is “very painful.”

The 30-year-old striker scored his second goal from the spot against the Taysiders in the final home William Hill Premiership game of the season on Wednesday night to take his tally to 28 for the campaign and to half a century since signing from Cremonese two seasons ago.

However, a trophyless season for the Govan club comes to an end away to Hibernian on Saturday and all the Nigeria international has to show for his goals is a League Cup winners medal from 2024.

Dessers, top scorer in the league with 17 goals, said: “That’s very painful, because obviously when you score this number of goals, you hope you can keep something in your hands as well.

“But this will only give more fuel for the summer, to work hard in the summer and go again and never give up.

“I think that’s something that you have to say as a team, whatever happened, we never gave up, but we know we need to do better.

“And we will hopefully do it.

“50 goals in two seasons. Yeah, it makes me very proud to achieve this milestone for a big club like Rangers in the first place.

“It a very special feeling.

“And to do it at the Ibrox in a game you win is obviously a very nice feeling.”

The former Heracles Almelo, Utrecht and Genk forward paid tribute to captain James Tavernier for stepping aside from his usual penalty duties to allow Dessers the chance to reach the 50 mark.

Young defender Sam Cleall-Harding headed the Taysiders in front from a corner after 21 minutes before Dessers equalised with a header  from a Jefte cross five minutes later.

After sending United keeper David Richards the wrong way with his penalty, midfielder Nicolas Raskin soon drove in a third in what could have been interim boss Barry Ferguson’s last home game as the Light Blues get ready to be taken over by an American consortium of Andrew Cavenagh and the 49ers Enterprises.

“To hit the 50 and to do it with a penalty is a good feeling,” said Dessers.

“I have to thank Tav for it because obviously normally he’s the number one taker and he does it very well.

“It says a lot about him because we all know that he also loves his goals, loves his set-pieces, his penalties, corner kicks, free-kicks, and he takes them all amazingly.

“To give this one to me, I think speaks for him as a person and as a captain, so really thankful that.

“I think his biggest attribute in the dressing role is his calmness.

“He’s never panicking, never stressing. And I think he tried to bring that to me as well. So that way, I could thank him for that.”

Whoever is in charge next season – and one person heavily linked with the permanent manager’s position is Davide Ancelotti, assistant to and son of Italian boss Carlo – Dessers is keen to stay for the rebuild.

He said: “I think my ambitions are clear.

“This season’s been very bumpy, and I want to do better myself, I want to do better as a team, I want to win trophies and if they need me, I will be there.”