New US Cremonese signing Cyriel Dessers has stated playing in the Serie A is a dream that has come true for him, and went on to liken the move to a child unwrapping a Christmas gift.
Dessers became the second Super Eagle, after David Okereke, to join the Cremonese from Club Brugge in July 2022. The Italian side announced the signing of the Nigeria star from KRC Genk on Wednesday, although they did not divulge details of his contract.
The forward had a successful 2021/22 campaign on loan at Feyenoord where he led the Dutch side to the final of the Uefa Europa Conference League.
The attacker is now keen on helping his new team perform well in the Italian top-tier, "Picture a child in front of a Christmas tree on Christ Eve. There, dreaming about the gifts he's going to unwrap in the morning. That is just how I feel, exactly like that child," Dessers said after sealing his move to the Serie A outfit.
"I have always dreamed of playing in Series A, one of the most illustrious leagues in the world.
"[It] is going to be an exciting challenge, full of obstacles but hugely stimulating. We'll need to stand together and front up to every battle defending our colours.
"Which colours do you say? Well, these, grigio and rosso. I can't wait. Cremo, let's dream together."
Dessers, after featuring in the academy and youth competitions with Belgium’s OH Leuven, scored 20 as a 19-year-old in the 2013/14 season. Leuven gave him first-team minutes when they played and lost 3-2 to Mons.
In 2014, the forward signed for Lokeren, another Belgian outfit, on a two-year deal and served them until 2016.
Dessers moved to the Netherlands in July 2016 and signed for NAC Breda, a second-tier club then. Together with Breda, they got promoted to the Eredivisie in 2017 after a 4-1 victory over NEC Nijmegen, a game in which the Nigerian scored a hat-trick.
He was signed by FC Utrecht in July 2017 after agreeing to a three-year contract with an option for a one-year extension. When the 2019/20 Eredivisie campaign was abandoned due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Dessers was awarded as the joint top goalscorer alongside Steven Berghuis after both scored 15 goals.
He became the second African, after Ivorian Wilfred Bony, to finish as the top goalscorer in the Eredivisie. He then moved to Genk, from Heracles Almero, in June 2020 in a four-year deal, but returned to the Netherlands to feature for Feyenoord on loan in August 2021.
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