Glasgow Rangers forward, Cyriel Dessers has revealed that he sought help from a psychologist when his career wasn’t progressing as planned.
The Nigerian striker faced a challenging period at Feyenoord, struggling to secure regular playing time following his loan move from KRC Genk.
Dessers was often on the bench, serving as a backup to then-first-choice striker Bryan Linssen.
Despite making an impact whenever he got the chance, Dessers frequently found himself back on the bench for the next game, which took a toll on his mental health.
Eventually, Dessers decided to visit a psychologist, which marked a turning point in his career and helped him secure a starting spot.
“That conversation lifted a huge burden off my shoulders. I don’t think I could have waited much longer. I was really close to a burnout,” Dessers told Het Nieuwsblad.
He went on to help Feyenoord reach the final of the UEFA Conference League, finishing as the competition’s top scorer with ten goals.
“That’s when I started scoring, and I never really stopped after that. My career just kept going upwards. I owe a lot of that to the conversation I had.
“I still talk to Daan [the psychologist] every month. During my most difficult period, we even spoke weekly or twice a week,” Dessers concluded.