Cyriel Dessers hits Rangers rock bottom as suffering striker uses Erik Ten Hag mantra to get over heartache

Cyriel Dessers spent the weekend in mourning after seeing Rangers’ title dreams die at Parkhead.

But the Ibrox hitman is clinging to the hope that grief will give way to glory later this month at Hampden. Dessers cut a visibly subdued figure as he sat down with the media to discuss Saturday’s Old Firm heartbreaker. The Nigerian international has had plenty of difficult days since moving to Glasgow but admitted none have tasted as bitter as the 2-1 loss which has put Brendan Rodgers’ Hoops on the brink of wrapping up the championship.

However, Dessers - whose side return to action against Dundee on Tuesday - insists Gers must move on quickly from their despair if they are to breath fresh life into their Scottish Cup Final ambitions. Asked where Saturday’s defeat ranked in his list of Ibrox lows, Dessers said: “It was the hardest day. I said it before the game – ‘look guys this is the moment we’ve been working for for 10 months when we started in the summer. We all have it in our own hands.’

“Then a couple of hours later, obviously it’s a huge disappointment. It’s what you work for every day. Unfortunately losing is also part of football. It’s all going to be about the reaction we can show in these next two games and in the Cup Final. I think also next season from the start.

“I had a manager, Erik ten Hag (at Utrecht), who always said that when something happens in a football game you either mourn for 24 hours or celebrate for 24 hours — and then you have to switch your mind to the next game.

“I thought a couple of times about these words on Saturday and Sunday. But when you come back into this building you switch the button and you try to forget about it. It’s not easy but I want to switch a button and find the energy