The Portugal Under-21s international split opinion with his gesture to the crowd after weeks of criticism over his move from Everton
Former Everton striker Youssef Chermiti, now of Rangers, celebrates his first goal for his new club in the 3-1 win over Kilmarnock at Ibrox. Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images
Former Everton striker Youssef Chermiti, now of Rangers, celebrates his first goal for his new club in the 3-1 win over Kilmarnock at Ibrox. Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images
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Youssef Chermiti scored his first goal for Rangers at the weekend but his celebration has been met with a mixed reaction.
The 21-year-old got off the mark for his new club with a powerful strike to seal a 3-1 win against Kilmarnock at Ibrox. It was his first goal in three seasons after a disappointing two years at Everton in which he failed to score.
Pressure was growing on him north of the border after he failed to score in his first eight appearances following his £8m move. With the season having already descended into crisis, that deal was a focal point for frustration with the current regime, which includes Kevin Thelwell - the director of football who left Everton at the end of last season. Thelwell had brought Chermiti to Merseyside from Sporting.
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Against that backdrop, the Portugal Under-21s international’s celebration - which began with a gesture that appeared to acknowledge the criticism he had received - sparked debate in the aftermath of the game.
Ex-Gers star Ross McCormack was not a fan. He said on Clyde 1 Superscoreboard: “Straight after that game, you’ll probably get guys like Tavernier [Rangers captain James Tarvernier] right away, sitting him down and going: ‘Don’t you ever do that again because the fans will make or break you at Rangers.’ I did find it a little bit strange, even disrespectful, to do that.”
For Chermiti the goal was a huge source of relief. He struggled for minutes in his first season at Everton and then saw a promising pre-season end with a serious foot injury, halting the momentum he had been building under Sean Dyche. Further injuries followed, leaving him unable to make a strong impression on David Moyes. He left for Rangers in an £8m deal that could rise to £10m.
Pleased to end his drought, he told Rangers’ media team: “It is an important day for me to score my first goal as a Rangers player. It was a good game from everyone, we conceded a goal but then we came back and we scored two more.
“We played well in the first-half, and at half-time everyone was saying just keep doing what we are doing and then we scored two more goals and it was a great performance from everyone. I just took a touch and hit it, it was great to celebrate, and my mum and sister were here today too.”