Cyriel Dessers, born on 8 December 1994 (age 31), is a Nigerian striker now with Panathinaikos. His best league return came at NAC Breda in 2016-17, when he scored 22 goals in 36 appearances – the sort of season that tends to follow a striker around, for better or worse.
He has since built a solid career across Europe, with enough goals to remain useful and enough uneven spells to keep the praise within sensible limits. Along the way, he won a League Cup at another club, a detail that will not require much decorative framing for a Celtic audience.
At Panathinaikos in 2026-27, Dessers has made a sharp start, scoring three goals in three appearances across all competitions. That includes one goal in two Super League appearances and two in Conference League qualifying. His form has been strong and consistent, and he has also made two appearances for Nigeria in African World Cup qualifying this season.
Dessers’ career has been that of an established centre-forward rather than a headline act: productive at NAC Breda, experienced across different leagues, and still capable of delivering goals at 31.
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