Allow me the pleasure of introducing Youssef Chermiti, a footballer whose birthplace – Portugal, I believe – feels a world away from the frost-kissed Glaswegian turf he now adorns. Picture a young lad, no more than knee-high to a goalpost, born on 24 May 2004, harbouring dreams of one day becoming a successful striker. Imagine him growing – sprouting like a beanpole, in fact – to a towering 6ft 3in (1.92m for you metric folks). 84kg heavy, or 13st 3lb in the old money, he's as sturdy as any Scots pine. The number 9 jersey he sports at Rangers, one can only wonder how it stretches across his chest.
Though it pains me to say it, it seems this Chermiti has earned a decent crust for himself in the game. He's currently valued at about £5m, according to Transfermarkt. Such a shame he never plied his trade under the emerald glow of Celtic Park, but I suppose we all have our crosses to bear.
The lad started out humbly enough, graduating from the Sporting CP academy in Portugal back in July 2016. During his debut season with the Portuguese side in the 2022-2023 season, he trotted out onto the pitch 16 times for the first team, netting three goals in the process. Not exactly earth-shattering, but a start nonetheless.
In the summer of 2023, English Premier League hopefuls Everton stumped up around £11m for Chermiti. His two seasons there proved far from spectacular. During his first season, he made 18 appearances, but his appearances dropped the following season to a paltry four outings. One wonders if the Merseyside fog didn't agree with him.
In a move that smarts like a midge bite on a balmy Highland night, Chermiti joined Rangers in September 2025 for a knockdown fee of around £8m. As of the 2025-2026 season, he’s donned the light blue jersey 19 times, scoring seven goals to boot. Both League Cup and Europa League appearances were marked with much gusto, and the lad played no small part in Rangers recent exploits.
