'He can become a legend': Arthur Numan tips Cyriel Dessers to be Scottish Cup match winner

Rangers legend Arthur Numan has backed Cyriel Dessers to write himself into the history books by firing the Ibrox side to a Scottish Cup victory this weekend.

Philippe Clement’s side will come up against Premiership champions Celtic at Hampden Park on Saturday in the competition’s first Old Firm final in 22 years.

Rangers have been unable to get the better of their city-rivals this season with one draw and three defeats from their four meetings so far.

But former left-back Numan, who won four Scottish Cups during his five-years in Glasgow between 1998 and 2003, believes his former side have what it takes to lift the trophy.

And he has tipped Dessers, who has netted 22 goals in his debut season at Ibrox despite being the target for criticism for parts of the campaign, to be the match winner.

Speaking on Tuesday as the build up continues to the big game, the ex-Netherlands international said: “I can imagine the Rangers squad are disappointed at not winning the league, a few weeks ago everyone was thinking that they had the chance to be champions.

“I was over for the Old Firm game at Ibrox, and the first half wasn’t great for us, I was thinking ‘what am I watching’ but eventually it gets back to 3-3 and you think we still have a chance to go top again.

“But then you play Ross County three days later and then Dundee after that and in just one week you give the league away.

“The league is always the most important thing, but now they need to draw a line under that and focus on this cup final. This is still a very important game because we can still win the cup double, so this game now is the most important.

“The players need to forget about the last couple of weeks and have the confident and belief that they can win this game, because for 90 minutes they should give 110% and go for it.

“Yeah, (I think they can get a result) because before the 3-3 game they played against each other and you keep see the spirit, the fighting and the belief and that’s what they need to have again.

“People always remember you as a player by winning trophies, of course there are some players do they believe or not? So I think the most important thing is what is in the dressing room.”

Numan was playing the last time the sides met in a Scottish Cup final with Peter Lovenkrands scoring a dramatic late winner in a 3-2 victory for Rangers.

And when asked who he thinks could be this year’s Lovenkrands, and potentially become a hero that is remembered in 22 years time, he said: “I think it could be Dessers, sometimes he can get some criticism but still he is scoring goals and this is the kind of match you can become a legend in.

“Everyone remembers the goal from Lovenkrands in the last minute, with a cross from Neil McCann, because that’s what people will always remember, the goals, winning trophies, and they always know who scored and who was involved in the goal.

“So I hope that Dessers can be that man and score the winning goal. I think that could be (a big turning point for him), because he has scored a lot of goals, but if he scores the winner in a cup final against Celtic then people will always remember that and it will give him a lot of confidence as well for season.

“It will also give the team a belief that they can go and win the league next season.”