Ex-Rangers manager comments on treatment of Cyriel Dessers
The Nigerian finished last season as the Scottish Premiership's top scorer with 18 goals in 35 games.
Clement, who was dismissed as manager in February following a 2-0 defeat to St Mirren at Ibrox, recently commented on Dessers and the treatment he receives from fans.
Read more:
He told BBC Scotland: "I think Cyriel gets abused like nobody else in the club, or on the pitch at least.
"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.
"So in the end, he performed really well with his qualities.
"He was top scorer I think at the end of this season.
"Of course fans always want more.
"Cyriel, if he'd played in a team that had won the league, then he would be for everybody a good player.
"But if you don't win the league then you are not a good player anymore."
He added: "That's life at Rangers."
Russell Martin was named as the permanent successor to Clement on Thursday.
The 39-year-old has signed a three-year deal at Ibrox as a new era begins in Govan.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Record
23 minutes ago
- Daily Record
Neil Lennon challenges Rangers, Hearts, Hibs and Aberdeen to raise standards after 'drop off' in quality
Lennon reckons the football - outwith his old club Celtic - is not as exciting as it used to be and hopes to see an improvement in the coming season Neil Lennon says it's time the chasing pack in the Scottish Premiership raised their game. The Dunfermline boss reckons there's been a marked drop in quality outwith Celtic in recent seasons - and the football isn't as exciting as it once was. Rangers and Hearts have been boosted with fresh investment and new management ahead of the new campaign as they look to mount a challenge for silverware. Scottish Cup winners Aberdeen can also look forward to another Euro windfall after clinching guaranteed group stage football while Hibs have welcomed the input of Bill Foley's Black Knights for the past year. Now Lennon, whose Pars side have also benefited from a cash injection from new owners, hopes the positive vibes in boardrooms at our top clubs can be reflected on the park too. Russell Martin and Derek McInnes are set to bring in new eras at Rangers and Hearts and Lennon reckons the challenge is there for them and others to lift their levels. Asked if the fresh investment in the game is exciting, he said: 'I hope so. I've not been overly impressed with the levels in the last couple of years. 'So I'm hoping there's going to be an improvement in the consistency of performance and quality from the teams. 'Not just domestically, but in Europe as well. I think there's been a drop-off. I don't know if it's over-coaching or over-analysis. It's not just in Scottish football. 'It's just a view I have of the game overall. I don't think it's as good as it was maybe a decade ago. Not as exciting or teams aren't as consistent as they used to be. 'I'll give an example. My first year back in the Premiership at Hibs we got 67 points and finished fourth. I don't know what fourth place got you this year, 53. 'Take Celtic out the equation and for the rest of the teams, the big clubs, I'm thinking there has to be more consistency there to give the other teams a bloody nose. 'Is outside investment what's been needed? I don't know. We've had outside investment before.' Analytics is the buzzword across Scottish football these days with Hearts benefiting from Brighton owner Tony Bloom's Jamestown tool and Hibs well down the road using Foley's Black Knights model. It's coming into play at Dunfermline too under new owners James Bord and Evan Sofer. Bord is a former poker champion who founded the sports data company Short Circuit Science. The US-based businessman even spent time working for Hearts' new investor Bloom earlier in his career. Jeremiah Chilokoa-Mullen, Connor Young and Tashan Oakley-Boothe have already been signed with the help of analytics. And Lennon admits it's about who does data best. He said: 'Yeah, probably. Brighton are the classic example, Brentford as well. The improvement in those two clubs has been fantastic and their recruitment is fantastic. 'It's all about that, it is 80 percent of my job, that will help me bring success to the football club. It's not set in stone, if I like a player and say I think we should go for him then he (Bord) would have no qualms about doing that. 'But he does bring a different variation on how you recruit a player, what to look at. You need the evidence and already with Mullen, with Young and with Oakley-Boothe we are seeing evidence that can be successful. 'Management is a really different now. A lot of clubs have a structure where if the appointment of a head coach doesn't work out they take him out and put someone else in but the structure remains. 'That was not the case when I started managing 15 years ago. A lot of clubs have that template. We don't as yet but I think it is something James wants to bring to the club.'
Scottish Sun
32 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Russell Martin wants to reunite with Southampton star at Rangers as boss eyes swoop – with EPL left-back also interested
The manager was quizzed on James Tavernier's future FLYING FLYNN Russell Martin wants to reunite with Southampton star at Rangers as boss eyes swoop – with EPL left-back also interested NEW Rangers boss Russell Martin wants to raid old club Southampton for highly-rated Flynn Downes. But he could be priced out of a move, with relegated Saints demanding at least £10million for the classy playmaker. Advertisement 3 The clock is already ticking for Russell Martin to get his transfer business done Credit: Willie Vass 3 Flynn Downes is on his radar Credit: Getty Martin took Downes to St Mary's from West Ham, having also managed him at Swansea. The 26-year-old could fancy a crack at the Premiership instead of a return to England's second tier with Saints. But Martin will get no favours from his old club over the fee. He will be busy in the transfer market after being handed £20m to overhaul the squad. Advertisement Left-back Harry Toffolo is set to quit Nottingham Forest and is interested in a switch to Ibrox after playing only a handful of games late last season. Martin will inherit Jefte and Ridvan Yilmaz as left-backs, but the Turk has been heavily linked with a return home. Veteran Leicester City defender Conor Coady is also on Gers' radar. Meanwhile, Gers boss Martin insists he has no plans to strip James Tavernier of the Rangers captaincy. Advertisement He said: 'He's been the captain for a very long time. If he's playing, I don't see any reason to change that. And if he's not playing, it will force someone else. 'First and foremost, I want to speak to him to explain to me and have a discussion about the last two years, his thoughts on the team. SunSport reporters clash over Russell Martin as he's revealed as new Rangers boss 'His thoughts on what we're going to bring and how the players will feel about that. 'To play here as long as he has, to be captain as long as he has, takes a lot of energy. It's not easy. Advertisement 'I've been at a club where sometimes the one that's been there longest ends up getting criticised a lot because you've been there the longest. 'Then how much he gets used on the pitch will be down to Tav and how he trains and how he plays, the same as every player. 'But he's going to be hugely important in the culture here. 3 Advertisement 'I know what he's like as a person behind the scenes and he's fantastic. 'He was when I played with him and hopefully it hasn't beaten him up too much. It doesn't seem like it has. 'He still seems like he plays with a big smile and a lot of enthusiasm. 'It does carry a big weight to be captain of a club this size. He's done it incredibly well. Advertisement 'How much he plays on the pitch, I can't sit here and tell you he's going to play 50 games, 20 games, whatever. 'It will be down to him in the way he performs and the way he buys into it, which I'm pretty sure he will.' Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
Daily Mail
33 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Rangers don't need to cash-in on best players ahead of summer rebuild, insists new boss Martin
Russell Martin insists Rangers will be under no obligation to sell any of their star players during a major summer rebuild. Martin was appointed as the Ibrox club's new head coach on Thursday on a three-year deal and will be tasked with revamping the squad and playing style. With fresh investment of around £20million coming from the club's new American owners, chief executive Patrick Stewart has stated that 'a decent amount' of that will be made available to Martin. Nico Raskin and Mohamed Diomande have both been strongly linked with moves away from Rangers this summer. Midfield duo Raskin and Diomande are two of the club's top assets and have attracted interest from the English Premier League and across Europe. Any money raised from player sales will be reinvested in the squad, but new boss Martin insists the club are under no pressure whatsoever to sell. Asked about retaining top talent, he said: 'We have to try and keep our best players. I think we're all really aligned with that. 'So unless things come in that really help the club to build and move forward, I don't think it's a necessity to do that [sell] at all. That's my understanding of it. 'And we've all been really clear on it. So we'll just have to wait and see. But I'm looking forward to working with those guys. 'There are a few positions where we'll need to strengthen fairly quickly and fairly early on [with regards to Champions League qualifiers in July]. 'I'm pretty sure by then we'll have one or two in. I'm also willing to be surprised and I'm open to being surprised by some of the players we have here. 'I feel excited about the challenge of Europe, yeah. I think it's different in terms of obviously having a bit less awareness of the opposition, which is going to take a bit more working. 'But it's going to be about us. Whether we're playing in Europe, in the league, in the cup, whatever it is, it's going to be about us and trying to be the best we can be. 'But to experience that, the thought of having European nights here, it's hugely exciting and appealing. So we have to try and make that happen.' During his short loan stint at Rangers back in 2018, Martin played alongside club captain James Tavernier. The new head coach insists he is full of respect for the skipper, who has one year left on his deal. Despite Tavernier continuing to divide opinion among fans, Martin sees no immediate reason to change the captaincy. 'First and foremost, I'll speak to Tav, to explain things and have a discussion about the last two years, his thoughts on the team,' said the new Ibrox boss. 'I'll get his thoughts on what we're going to bring and how the players will feel about that. 'I think to play here for as long as he has, to be captain for as long as he has, takes a lot of energy. It's not easy. 'I've been at a club where sometimes you're the one that's been there the longest and you end up getting criticised a lot because you've been there the longest. You're an ageing player and all that stuff. 'I think he's been so important for this team and this club on and off the pitch and I'm looking forward to chatting in more detail with him and speaking to him about it all. 'Then how much he gets used on the pitch will be down to Tav and how he trains and how he plays, the same as every player. 'But he's going to be hugely important in the culture. I know what he's like a person behind the scenes and he's fantastic. 'He really was when I played with him and hopefully football hasn't beaten him up too much. It doesn't seem like it has. He still seems like he plays with a big smile and a lot of enthusiasm. 'It does carry a big weight to be captain of a club this size. I think he's done it incredibly well. 'How much he plays on the pitch, I can't sit here and tell you he's going to play 50 games, 20 games, whatever. It will be down to him in the way he performs and the way he buys into it, which I'm pretty sure he will. 'He's been the captain for a very long time. I don't see any reason to change that. And if he's not playing, it will be someone else.'
