‘I loved working with Cyriel’ — Ex-Chelsea star explains why Dessers is a danger to other Rangers strikers

Cyriel Dessers’ future at Rangers may be up in the air, but for former Ibrox coach Billy Dodds, letting him go now could be a costly mistake.

The ex-Chelsea forward-turned-coach has heaped praise on the Nigerian striker, warning that his hunger and mentality make him a threat not just to defenders, but to any teammate competing for his position.

Dodds, who spent the final three months of last season working closely with Dessers, believes the big forward has found another gear at exactly the right time.

The Nigerian was instrumental in Rangers’ 3-0 first-leg win over Viktoria Plzen, setting up the opener for Djeidi Gassama before confidently burying a penalty. It was the kind of performance that reminded everyone why Rangers signed him in the first place.

Dodds revealed that Dessers has a unique way of responding to competition with an insight into the Nigerian strikers thinking, saying, “It’s like he [Dessers] thinks to himself, ‘Get another one [Striker] in, I'll put him out of the team. Get another one in, I'll see him off too!’.

“The big man is now saying: ‘Right, bring it on. I'll just show you what I can do,” making Dessers a nightmare for any striker aiming to take his spot.

Even when the club received a £5m bid from AEK Athens, Dodds warned that cashing in now would mean losing a player who relishes proving people wrong.

For Dodds, what makes Dessers truly dangerous is not just his physical presence or knack for scoring, but his willingness to learn and adapt.

He recalled advising the striker to limit his touches in the box to avoid overthinking, advice Dessers immediately embraced. “One touch, two touches,” the forward would later say after scoring, acknowledging the difference it made.

That openness to improvement, Dodds explained, is rare in modern football. It’s why he ranks Dessers among his favourites to work with, a player who absorbs feedback “like a sponge” and uses it to get better.

Whether Rangers decide to keep him or not, Dodds’ message is clear: Dessers is more than just another forward on the roster. He’s a competitor whose mindset alone could tilt the balance in Rangers’ season.