Super Eagles striker Cyriel Dessers has expressed his displeasure at starting on the bench for Feyenoord in their first leg UEFA Europa Conference League quarterfinal clash with Slavia Prague.
Dessers stated that the decision to bench him was all the more surprising because he was on press conference duties before the match.
The 27-year-old striker was a 64th-minute substitute for Feyenoord, replacing Bryan Linssen as the Dutch side played a 3-3 draw at home against their Czech visitors.
Dessers praises Feyenoord for Sparta Prague performance
According to Dutch news outlet FR12, Dessers told ESPN that the 3-3 draw was a 'real cup game' that had everything and he was only angry that he did not play in it from the start.
Dessers said: "I think everything was in it, a real cup match: some disturbances, many goals, many mistakes. The neutral spectator will certainly have enjoyed it.
"I think we had good control in the first half until the 1-1, which I feel came out of the blue. In the second half it went back and forth a lot more. Of course you want more control over the game, but I think we had that to a large extent.
It was a short conversation - Dessers on being left out
The one-time capped Nigerian international then slated the Feyenoord coaching crew for getting his confidence levels up by doing the pre-match press conference only to be told later that he was not in the starting line-up.
"It's also kind of silly that when I do an interview with you, because I think I'm in the base and get the confidence, and then it's not," Dessers reacted.
"Then in the evening in the hotel I think 'hmm, that airing now, but I won't be on it tomorrow.' I heard it yesterday at the training complex. It was a short conversation, there is not much to say about it."
Dessers promises to keep putting the team first
The former Heracles man noted that he had to put the team ahead of his personal needs again as he had all season.
"I also really want to go to that semi-final and at that moment you turn the switch and put the team above yourself as an individual. I have had to do that many times this season and that has often worked out well for the team and also for myself," Dessers concluded.
Cyriel Dessers is on loan at Feyenoord from Belgian side KRC Genk where his current contract also expires at the end of this season.
The 27-year-old has scored 14 goals and created six (6) assists for Feyenoord in 38 matches across all competitions this season.