That’s life. Cyriel Dessers knows what all the people say. He has been riding high one week and shot down the next. He is sure, though, that he will be back on top next time around.

The lyrics of Sinatra came to mind when listening to Dessers discuss his performance on the Europa League stage on Thursday evening. To continue the theme, the striker knows that some people get their kicks from stomping on the dream. To his credit, Dessers never lets it get him down.

His fortunes against Olympiacos were symptomatic of his season, and indeed his Rangers career. Two promising openings were spurned in the first half. In the second, a moment of magic earned Dessers his ninth goal of the campaign and earned Philippe Clement’s side a point.

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Dessers could reflect on those moments in the aftermath of a draw that leaves Rangers well placed in the Europa League. He continues to be a maligned figure amongst sections of the support and commentary around him often focuses on what he cannot do rather than what he can do. It is good, therefore, that his mentality is perhaps his biggest strength of all.

Aspects of his game rightly frustrate fans. It could be argued that his style does not suit Clement’s football and that Rangers need an upgrade at centre-forward. On the flip side, his manager is grateful to have a striker that is as robust as Dessers and that keeps coming back for more regardless of his trials and tribulations over the course of a 90 minutes or a run of matches.

“To be honest, like I said, that's the life of a striker,” Dessers said. “I was watching the Champions League this week and I see unbelievable strikers miss chances. Who am I as Cyriel Dessers to not miss chances? Obviously, you're always going to miss more than you score. That's the life of a striker.

“You know that there will always be a perception about that, but that's the life. If I would score three chances every game, then I would probably not be at Rangers either. But that's life and you just have to keep going, never give up as a team, individual.

“You just need to be ready for the next one and that's what I did [on Thursday]. That's what we did as a team as well. Even after the setback, we came back and I think we can be very proud with our performance here.

(Image: Costas Baltas/Shutterstock)

“Like I said, it is the life of a striker in the first eight games, you score seven. In the next eight games, you score one or two. Obviously, you want to see it different. You want to score every game, but that's life. I will always keep going, for the team, for myself, for this club. More goals to follow, for sure.”

Dessers scored five times in his first six games this term. After firing blanks against Celtic and Dundee United, he scored a double in the League Cup success against Dundee on September 21. Those were his last goals until last weekend.

He failed to convert into an open target against Motherwell and then produced a fine finish to bring Rangers level. On Thursday evening, he should have scored when he only had the keeper to beat before he was denied by a stop from close range. His third chance found the net as a clinical strike across the goal followed a composed touch to create time and space on the edge of the area.

“I'm very happy with my performance,” Dessers said. “I think I played a good game, gave the two centre-backs a lot of difficulties. Obviously, you want to score one of the first two chances. I think on the first one, the finish could have been better. On the second one, I think I did well.

“I think the goalkeeper has a good save and then you know that's the life of a striker. You need to stay in the game, you need to stay focused and hopefully make the next one and that's what I did, so I'm happy with that. 

“It went so fast with the interception from Connor to the pass of Vach. Then I felt him coming, the defender, so I faked a little bit that I was going to shoot early and then I could chop him and take it past him. Then it was a good finish in the bottom corner. Overall, I'm happy with the goal. It was an important one as well.”

If Dessers had scored more than one goal in Athens, Rangers would likely have returned to Glasgow with more than one point. In the end, the individual and the collective had to be content with their lot on matchday four.

The bid for Europa League progression will be resumed when Clement’s side head to Nice at the end of the month. Before then, the two Premiership fixtures that bookend the international break – at home to Hearts and then Dundee United – are must-win ones for Rangers.

“I think it's a decent result,” Dessers said as he reflected on events at the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium and looked ahead to the return to domestic matters. “If you look at our performance as a team, I think we can be happy about that. I think Olympiacos is a very good team, a lot of quality. It was a special atmosphere here, not easy to come here and take points, so I think we can be happy with that. 

“That's a really good feeling and that should give us strength as well for the game on Sunday, first and foremost, but also for the next games in Europa League, in the league. We've got some big months coming up and we are all excited and we cannot wait for these games.

“Obviously, we analysed the team and we can see their qualities. Not to go away with a point. Obviously, you want to win. I think we had chances and we were close to even winning, but we have to be happy with this and especially with our performance. I think you saw a real team, not giving up, going until the last second, playing some good football as well. I think that's the most important thing to take.”