The burden of expectation and an £8million transfer fee were out with Youssef Chermiti’s control when he put pen-to-paper with Rangers. The demand, the weight of history of the No.9 shirt were pressures that he took upon himself at Ibrox.
On the day that Chermiti was announced as a Rangers player, the photographs released by the club showed him holding a shirt with a name but no number. It was on that same afternoon that Chermiti decided in his own mind that he would wear the one that carries its own sense of significance.
Over the course of a long conversation about life in Glasgow and life as a Ranger, it was put to the Portuguese that he could take a different jersey, perhaps allowing himself the chance to grow into the role made immortal by the likes of Ally McCoist, Michael Mols, Nikica Jelavic and Kris Boyd. The response from Chermiti showed his character. On Saturday, he showed his quality.
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Sources close to the situation tell the Rangers Review that Chermiti was adamant that a centre-forward signed for such a fee and tasked with being the main figure at the head of the attack should wear the jersey that had been vacated by Cyriel Dessers upon his departure just weeks earlier. He was advised to consider it, sleep on it. Those hours of kip didn’t change Chermiti’s mind, and he was confirmed as the No.9 the following day.
At 21, he was ready to embrace the challenge. It has taken time, taken longer than he would have wished, for him to start to repay his fee but two goals in an Old Firm victory is quite the way to help you win over the Rangers support.
Those who sanctioned his arrival from Everton never had any doubts that Chermiti would represent value for money, or that he would make Rangers a profit, potentially around three times their initial outlay. In the difficult weeks and months that followed, and there were some very testing times, that faith was retained. That was a source of comfort to Chermiti, the arm around the shoulder from the top down, appreciated by a young man fighting to turn the scepticism of supporters’ first impressions at a club where few second chances are given.
In the eyes of the fans, a player who had come from the Premier League for a fee that could reach eight figures had to be a game-changer and match-winner, had to be the star man in the team and top scorer in the league. That was not the view of the decision-makers, however. Yes, they wanted Chermiti to contribute here and now, but they believed they were buying potential, investing in tomorrow.
His goals that inspired Danny Rohl’s side to Old Firm victory are perhaps the most significant ones of his career to date. Last week, he was given a rousing reception at Ibrox when he was substituted against St Mirren. At Parkhead, he took the acclaim of those in red, white and blue that celebrated a statement of intent victory in the title race.
Conversations earlier in the campaign focused on the details of his performances but also the importance of getting the fans on side. Chermiti was criticised by some for his reaction when he scored his first goal for the club in the win over Kilmarnock, with Rohl stating: “I think you have to understand how you celebrate sometimes. I think he knows what to do the next time, a bit emotional, but not more.”
It is easy for players to feel like the support is against them, but it takes an understanding of the crowd to appreciate what they can do for you. Chermiti took that on board, realising that he had to work with them and work harder, a notion that he has never been scared of as he puts in the hours to be the best version of himself. He will have felt that pay off at Parkhead.
Chermiti has been described to the Rangers Review as a low-maintenance member of Rohl’s squad, a young man who is family-oriented, professional and driven. Kevin Thelwell, the former sporting director, had done his homework on Chermiti the person before he took him to Everton from Sporting Lisbon in 2023 and knew what kind of player Rangers would be getting two years later.
His family moved to Vila do Porto on Santa Maria, one of the nine volcanic islands that make up the Azores in the North Atlantic Ocean, when he was a toddler. His father was an accomplished basketball player and his sisters followed that path, more adept with the ball in their hands than at their feet. His mother was a lawyer and Chermiti has benefited from that support network throughout his career.
He played on the streets with his friends and for his local club. A trip to a tournament – a four-hour boat ride to São Miguel away – hosted by Pauleta proved fateful for Chermiti and he was invited to return every fortnight at the academy of the former Portuguese striker. At 11, he was spotted by Sporting and offered a contract, but could only say yes after his sister swung the family vote in his favour following a negative reaction from his mother and eldest sibling.
It was a sliding doors moment for Chermiti. He has had many over the subsequent years, but perhaps none as important as the events of the weekend. It was a coming-of-age performance, an afternoon where those who had backed him at the start of the season could have a wry smile to themselves.
There was an acceptance from Thelwell, head coach Russell Martin and the board overseen by Andrew Cavenagh that £8million was a significant outlay for a Scottish club. It is not, of course, viewed that way south of the border and they believed they were getting a Premier League player for a fee that would work for Rangers today and tomorrow.
Martin spoke about Chermiti having ‘huge potential’ and ‘a lot of the qualities we were looking for in that position’. Thelwell predicted he would ‘develop into a top striker here’ and that Rangers was the right club for him at this stage of his career.
The trajectory had previously been measured against Dominic Calvert-Lewin. When Chermiti arrived at Goodison Park, the England international was his main competition and ultimately proved to be the man that he couldn’t oust from the team. A goal in the EFL Trophy against Mansfield was his only one that term, while 42 minutes across four Premier League matches the next season saw Chermiti fire a blank.
Underlying data ranked Chermiti higher than Calvert-Lewin. His physical stature was clear, but so was the way in which he used it to get around the pitch. Chermiti scored favourably on his distances covered, his high intensity runs and his sprint speed and Sporting reluctantly agreed to part with him in a deal that made financial sense but carried a football regret as an academy prospect moved on.
Indeed, Chermiti was described as a ‘reference point’ in his age group across Portuguese football by Pedro Coelho, his Under-15 coach, in an interview with the Rangers Review last summer. Everton did not see it as a gamble, although it could be argued that it did not pay off in the manner that they expected, given some of the other players that have been flipped over recent seasons to address their own financial situation.
🤯 “EXTRAORDINARY.”
Youssef Chermiti has turned this game on its head.
pic.twitter.com/MeE1ytuufB— The Rangers Review (@RangersReview55) January 3, 2026
Chermiti arrived on Merseyside knowing he needed to build a reputation as a goal scorer. He had to play to do that, of course, and could point to the trials and tribulations that Everton endured during his time there as context as a series of injury issues took a toll. During one period out, he worked in the gym to add three kilos of muscle, determined to make himself a Premier League player in stature while he waited for the experience.
The goals are where you make your money and the Toffees did not cash in on Chermiti like they did with Amadou Onana, who moved to Aston Villa for £50million, or that they could do with Iliman Ndiaye, a target for Inter Milan and Tottenham Hotspur, James Garner or Tim Iroegbunam after a period of buy low, sell high years before their own takeover last summer.
That allowed Rangers to move. If the Portuguese had a track record of putting the ball in the net, he would not be at Ibrox and he would have been valued four or five times higher than what he cost in the summer. A belief that the goals would come was why Thelwell was sure he should sign him for a second time.
That was the one bit that was missing for Chermiti. And that was the bit that he added at Parkhead. His first was an exquisite finish, a moment that was all about the vision and execution as he made the run to the front post, dummied with one foot and flicked the cross from Nico Raskin into the net with the other.
The second was the kind of goal – all pace, power and precision - that Rangers bought into with Chermiti as he advanced down the left channel and beat Kasper Schmeichel before continuing his run to the away section. £8million down the drain? Well, Chermiti had scored again.
Rohl had almost predicted it the previous day as he spoke about the possibility of a ‘fantastic story’ being written by Chermiti. The work to improve his link-up play and game awareness had been evident in previous matches; his ability with his back to goal already enhanced just months after he left Everton.
It is now about consistency for Chermiti. Rohl challenged the Portuguese and his competitors for the No.9 position – Bojan Miovski and Danilo – to prove themselves worthy of the berth and the responsibility last month. That 90-minute turnaround has changed the narrative around Rangers and a centre-forward is no longer the top of the shopping list for many fans this month.
At times earlier in the campaign, Chermiti suffered as a result of the failings of those around him. All strikers need the right service to score goals and chance creation was as big a problem as chance conversion. That is why his first at Parkhead was such a source of encouragement, because it evidenced Chermiti’s ability to be in the right place at the right time, to get in between the goalposts and show the instinct of a striker.
He had referenced the Old Firm being about 'spirit' and not about the 'quality or who is better on the pitch'. Over the course of 90 minutes, he showed the mentality and technical ability to put Celtic to the sword.
The fact that Saturday was the first time Chermiti had spoken in a press conference this season highlights how turbulent a time it has been for him. It was an afternoon where he answered many questions, both on and off the park and spoke about his belief in himself and his teammates for what is to come over the next few months.
If Chermiti plays his part in a Premiership title win then the faith and fee will be repaid. It could be the ultimate tale of zero to hero for the man with No.9 on his back.
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