In-form Cyriel Dessers has hit 100 career goals after scoring a late brace to salvage a point for Feyenoord Rotterdam against PSV Eindhoven in the Eredivisie on Sunday.
Dessers, who could be leaving De Kuip at the end of the season, has been a fantastic revelation for the Rotterdamers since joining on loan from Belgian club KRC Genk in the summer.
PSV were two goals up by the 30th minute of the game and looked to be on their way to three points. A win for PSV would have taken them one step closer to the Eredivisie title following Ajax Amsterdam's loss earlier in Sunday.
Dessers hit goalscoring milestone
Dessers, however, did not take it lying down. Earning a rare start in the Eredivisie following his amazing form for the side in the UEFA European Conference League, he popped up with a goal in the 86th minute and dispatched a penalty in added time after the 90 minutes were up.
It was only the fourth time he had completed 90 minutes in the Eredivisie for Feyenoord and he rewarded the manager Arne Slot by scoring his 18th and 19th goals in all competitions for the Pride of the South in 39 appearances, and his 99th and 100th career goals as a professional footballer after 246 games.
Dessers took to Twitter to praise the home atmosphere of Feyenoord's stadium, stating it was a special ground to score his landmark goals.
“No better place to score your 100th official goal than in an exploding cockpit,” he tweeted.
Dessers praises team mentality for comeback draw
The 27-year-old not only achieved a personal milestone but saved the team from more worry as they fight for the last European place allocated to the Eredivisie next season.
They are currently in the final of the Conference League but a loss in the final will see them out of Europe next season. Feyenoord currently sit in third place with 68 points from 32 matches. The draw guaranteed them one more fighting chance and a win in their next match will see them make it to the qualifiers of the Conference League next season.
Dessers noted that his team was not at their best in the first half and praised them for waking up and fighting in the second.
“I think it’s more of a mental thing. It just didn’t work in the first half. We didn’t get pressure on it; we were sloppy on the ball.
“But if you see what we do in the second half, how we get the upper hand and come back.”
Dessers also revealed that he felt the goal before it happened. “I had the feeling for longer. From the sixtieth minute, we started to press and get opportunities,” he added.
“Then I thought: it is still possible. We have shown it more often, both at home and away. And here again today. That says something about the team.”
Dessers is the only active Super Eagles player, alongside Odion Ighalo, to hit that number in his professional career.
This article was most recently revised and updated 2 years ago