Cyriel Dessers

Cyriel Dessers of Panathinaikos was born in Leuven, Belgium on 8 December 1994 (age 31).

Cyriel Dessers, born on 8 December 1994 (age 31), is a Nigeria international striker now with Panathinaikos. His clearest early burst came at NAC Breda in 2016-17, when he scored 22 league goals in 36 appearances – the sort of season that tends to keep a centre-forward in work for a long time.

His spell at Rangers brought the usual scrutiny, some goals, and one League Cup. By 2025-26 he had made three league appearances for them before moving on to Panathinaikos, where he has started with five league appearances and two goals.

Dessers has also remained involved with Nigeria, making two appearances in African World Cup qualifying this season. His career has been that of a well-travelled striker with one standout scoring campaign, a trophy at Ibrox, and another reset in Greece.

📈 Key stats and insights

Cyriel Dessers has scored two goals in five Panathinaikos appearances in 2025-26

Cyriel Dessers made three Rangers appearances before his September 2025 transfer

Cyriel Dessers scored 18 league goals for Rangers in 2024-25

Cyriel Dessers scored 16 league goals for Rangers in 2023-24

Cyriel Dessers averages a 6.58 season rating, with a 6.83 high and 6.31 low

Last updated 6 August 2026. Send feedback

Cyriel Dessers stats

Check out all of the statistics about Cyriel Dessers.

Striker
Primary Position: Forward
Position

Cyriel Dessers

ST

1.85m (6ft)
Height: 33
Squad Number: 80kg (12st 8lb)
Weight: 8 December 1994 (age 31)
Date of Birth: Leuven
Birthplace: Belgium 🇧🇪
Country of Birth: Panathinaikos
Team: Nigeria 🇳🇬
National Team

📊 Season stats

Team: Panathinaikos
Super League 2025 - 2026
Games: 5
Starting: 2
Substitute: 3
Unused: 27
Utilisation: 16%
Goals: 2
Yellows: 2
Reds: -

Team: Nigeria 🇳🇬
World Cup Qualifiers Africa 2024 - 2026
Games: 2
Starting: 1
Substitute: 1
Unused: 10
Utilisation: 17%
Goals: -
Yellows: -
Reds: -

Team: Panathinaikos
Europa League 2025 - 2026
Games: 1
Starting: -
Substitute: 1
Unused: 11
Utilisation: 8%
Goals: -
Yellows: -
Reds: -

Dessers has had a split 2025-26 season, with five Panathinaikos appearances producing two goals and three earlier Rangers appearances preceding the September move. That scoring rate at Panathinaikos points to immediate penalty-box value, though the sample remains small.

📋 Career stats

Team: Panathinaikos
Season 2026 - 2027
Country: Greece 🇬🇷
Games: -
Goals: -

Team: Panathinaikos
Season 2025 - 2026
Country: Greece 🇬🇷
Games: 5
Goals: 2

Team: Rangers
Season 2025 - 2026
Country: Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿
Games: 3
Goals: -

Team: Rangers
Season 2024 - 2025
Country: Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿
Games: 35
Goals: 18

Team: Rangers
Season 2023 - 2024
Country: Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿
Games: 35
Goals: 16

Team: Cremonese
Season 2022 - 2023
Country: Italy 🇮🇹
Games: 26
Goals: 6

Team: Genk
Season 2022 - 2023
Country: Belgium 🇧🇪
Games: 3
Goals: 3

Team: Feyenoord
Season 2021 - 2022
Country: Netherlands 🇳🇱
Games: 27
Goals: 9

Team: Genk
Season 2021 - 2022
Country: Belgium 🇧🇪
Games: 3
Goals: -

Team: Genk
Season 2020 - 2021
Country: Belgium 🇧🇪
Games: 28
Goals: 4

Team: Heracles Almelo
Season 2019 - 2020
Country: Netherlands 🇳🇱
Games: 26
Goals: 15

Team: FC Utrecht
Season 2018 - 2019
Country: Netherlands 🇳🇱
Games: 11
Goals: 3

Team: FC Utrecht
Season 2017 - 2018
Country: Netherlands 🇳🇱
Games: 29
Goals: 9

Team: NAC Breda
Season 2016 - 2017
Country: Netherlands 🇳🇱
Games: 36
Goals: 22

Team: KSC Lokeren
Season 2015 - 2016
Country: Belgium 🇧🇪
Games: 10
Goals: -

Team: KSC Lokeren
Season 2014 - 2015
Country: Belgium 🇧🇪
Games: 15
Goals: -

Team: Oud-Heverlee Leuven
Season 2013 - 2014
Country: Belgium 🇧🇪
Games: 1
Goals: -

Dessers is 31, Nigerian and plays as a striker for Panathinaikos. His recent career has been mobile: Genk loaned him to Feyenoord in 2021, he moved to Cremonese in 2022, joined Rangers in 2023 and then Panathinaikos in 2025. The standout scoring spell came at Rangers, where he scored 16 league goals in 2023-24 and 18 in 2024-25.

💰 Transfers

Team: Panathinaikos
1 September 2025
From: Rangers
Type: Fee (£4m)

Team: Rangers
6 July 2023
From: Cremonese
Type: Fee (£4.5m)

Team: Cremonese
10 August 2022
From: Genk
Type: Fee (£5.9m)

Team: Genk
1 June 2022
From: Feyenoord
Type: Returned from loan

Team: Feyenoord
31 August 2021
From: Genk
Type: Loan

Team: Genk
1 July 2020
From: Heracles Almelo
Type: Fee (£3.6m)

Team: Heracles Almelo
8 July 2019
From: FC Utrecht
Type: Undisclosed

Team: FC Utrecht
1 July 2017
From: NAC Breda
Type: Fee (£300k)

Team: NAC Breda
7 July 2016
From: KSC Lokeren
Type: Free Transfer

Team: KSC Lokeren
1 July 2014
From: Oud-Heverlee Leuven
Type: Free Transfer

Team: Oud-Heverlee Leuven
1 January 2014
Type: Signed

Dessers' transfer trail moved from a Genk loan to Feyenoord into three straight fee-based permanent moves. Cremonese paid 5.9m in 2022, Rangers paid 4.5m in 2023 and Panathinaikos paid 4.0m in 2025, with each permanent fee lower than the previous one.

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