Peter Grant and Barry Ferguson’s praise for Cyriel Dessers following his match-winning performance against Dundee offers a deeper understanding of the qualities that separate good strikers from great ones, especially in the context of their mental resilience and tenacity. While Dessers may have been the hero and the villain of the game, having missed a significant number of chances before scoring the all-important stoppage-time winner, the recognition of his persistence in the face of adversity speaks volumes about the mentality required to succeed in top-level football.

Cyriel Dessers’ performance against Dundee was a perfect encapsulation of the highs and lows that often come with being a striker. In a game that saw him miss numerous chances — 12 attempts in total — Dessers could have easily been the target of criticism, especially from fans and pundits who often expect instant results from forwards. Missing chances, especially multiple ones in a high-stakes match, can lead to a player being substituted, a decision often made in response to both the player’s lack of effectiveness and the increasing frustration from the crowd. However, Peter Grant, a former Celtic player with a wealth of experience, saw something different in Dessers’ performance. Instead of focusing solely on his miss count, Grant highlighted the striker’s “gumption” — a term that emphasizes the resolve and determination Dessers showed by never giving up, even after he squandered opportunity after opportunity.

In Grant’s eyes, Dessers displayed the kind of mental resilience that all top strikers must possess. Grant stated that, despite the frustrations that inevitably arise from missed chances, a striker’s job is to keep getting into the right positions to score. This is the defining characteristic of an effective forward — someone who continually presses on, takes risks, and works hard to make the next chance count, even if the previous one didn’t. For Grant, this is what truly makes Dessers stand out: his willingness to keep striving for a goal, even when he faced adversity. Grant’s emphasis on this mental toughness is significant because it underscores an important element of being a successful striker: the ability to recover from setbacks. A striker who misses multiple chances but continues to get into the right positions, refusing to be affected by his earlier failures, is often the one who eventually gets rewarded, as Dessers did when he scored in the 93rd minute to secure a vital victory for Rangers.

Ferguson, another former player with a deep understanding of the pressures of professional football, was equally supportive of Dessers, emphasizing the importance of sticking with a striker, even when the chances aren’t falling for him. Ferguson made it clear that, despite Dessers’ critics, he had always seen something special in the striker. Ferguson, who has long supported Dessers, showed remarkable faith in him, keeping the striker on the pitch even after his earlier misses. Ferguson’s decision not to substitute Dessers was a significant one. Many managers would have opted to take the striker off in the face of repeated failures, but Ferguson’s belief that Dessers was the right player to remain on the pitch — even at the cost of crowd frustration — ultimately paid off. Dessers remained focused and composed, and in the end, it was his cool finish in the dying moments of the game that secured Rangers’ victory. Ferguson’s actions exemplified a key trait of great managers: the ability to trust and support players, especially in moments of difficulty, knowing that their value goes beyond just their immediate output.

Grant’s and Ferguson’s comments highlight another key aspect of Dessers’ value to Rangers: his ability to get into goal-scoring positions and create chances. Despite missing many of them, Dessers’ record of 23 goals in all competitions this season is a testament to his consistent threat in front of goal. His tally far surpasses that of his nearest rival, Vaclav Cerny, and this highlights that, even when Dessers is not at his clinical best, his ability to create chances and be involved in attacking play is irreplaceable. Dessers’ goal tally further reinforces the idea that he is Rangers’ most consistent finisher, at least when compared to others in the squad. Although his finishing may be criticized at times, the fact remains that he is the player who most frequently finds himself in the right places to score. It’s the classic paradox of being a striker: you can’t score if you’re not getting chances, but if you’re getting chances, it’s only a matter of time before some of them find the back of the net. Dessers’ ability to keep getting into goal-scoring positions is, in itself, a key reason why Ferguson and Grant have defended him.

The praise Dessers received from Grant is also a reflection of the pressures placed on modern-day strikers. In today’s game, there is often an immediate demand for results. Fans and pundits expect goals, and when they aren’t forthcoming, strikers can find themselves under intense scrutiny. This is compounded by the fast pace and heightened expectations of football in the modern era. Yet, Grant’s emphasis on perseverance and “gumption” is a reminder that football is not just about immediate results but also about the long-term mindset required to succeed. A striker needs to understand that they will miss chances, but they must also possess the mental fortitude to keep going, to stay in the game, and to take that next opportunity with the belief that it will be the one that counts. Dessers did precisely that in the match against Dundee, and it ultimately proved to be a game-changing moment for his team.

Ferguson’s loyalty to Dessers and his faith in the striker’s ability to deliver, even when others might have given up on him, reveals a crucial aspect of leadership in football. A manager or coach who can maintain confidence in a player, even after mistakes, fosters an environment of trust and stability. Ferguson’s belief that Dessers was the best option to keep on the field, even after missing multiple chances, sent a strong message not only to the player but also to the rest of the squad. It showed that persistence is valued, and mistakes do not necessarily result in punishment. This kind of support can go a long way in boosting a player’s confidence and ensuring they are more likely to perform at their best when given another chance.

Dessers’ performance against Dundee, ultimately, wasn’t just about his missed chances or his single match-winning goal; it was about demonstrating the qualities that all successful strikers must have: resilience, persistence, and the ability to keep pushing forward, even when things aren’t going well. Dessers proved that sometimes, the key to success is simply refusing to give up, regardless of how many opportunities you might squander along the way. His eventual goal in stoppage time wasn’t just a personal triumph; it was a testament to his mental toughness and his determination to stay in the game, no matter what.

For other players in similar situations, Dessers’ example offers valuable lessons. In football, and in life, setbacks are inevitable. But it’s how you respond to those setbacks that truly matters. Dessers, by continuing to get into the right positions despite earlier failures, showed that mental resilience can often be just as important as technical skill. His story is a powerful reminder that in football, as in any field, persistence, and the refusal to be beaten by failure, are often what lead to ultimate success.