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Cremonese forward Cyriel Dessers says playing football was not initially part of his career plan.
Instead, he had his sights set on pursuing a career in academics.
Despite his passion for football, Dessers prioritised his education with plans to study economics at university.
However, after his first year, he decided to take a year to focus on football.
Dessers’ decision paid off, as he signed his first professional contract at 19.
Although his career has had its ups and downs, he has managed to achieve significant milestones, such as becoming last season’s top scorer in the UEFA Europa Conference League and scoring for the Super Eagles.
Reflecting on his journey, Dessers said, “For me, football was Plan B, study was Plan A,” Dessers told TLN TV.
“And even when I became a professional player, quite late at 19 years old, my career went with ups and downs. But this is a part of me, and I will never give up.”
He added, “None of this came for free or came easy, but this only makes it worth more for me. When you have to work as hard as I did, when you have success, it only feels better. And you enjoy even more.”
Dessers has managed 110 goals and 39 assists playing for eight clubs across The Netherlands, Belgium and Italy.
The 28-year-old forward has scored five goals in Serie A for Cremonese, but it has not been enough to lift the Gray and Reds off the foot of the table.