Mateo Cassierra insists he has no regrets about his decision to join Zenit St Petersburg in 2022 despite finding himself on the radar of Scottish Premiership giants Rangers.
For a while at least, Rangers missing out on the Colombia international appeared to be a £4 million bullet dodged, almost Neo from The Matrix style.
That was, however, until Mateo Cassierra put a dreadful debut season at Zenit St Petersburg behind him. With 11 goals in 13 Russian Premier League games, the former FC Sochi striker has scored more times this term than in the entirety of 2022/23, and he could yet end the current campaign with an RPL winners’ medal around his neck and the Golden Boot award on his mantelpiece.
Rangers wanted Zenit striker Mateo Cassierra
“Nothing has changed in me,” Cassiera tells BobSoccer. “I moved to Zenit with a great desire to score constantly and a lot. Strikers are always expected to score goals, but I didn’t succeed (last season).
“But this season I scored in the first game and everything immediately became easier. The balls flew into the goal!”
Cassiera appeared to confirm reports linking him with a move to Ibrox a year ago, admitting that then-Rangers boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst had likely become aware of his talents during the striker’s short-lived spell at Dutch giants Ajax.
‘I have never regretted my choice’
A man now leading the line at Ibrox – a certain Cyriel Dessers – could do worse than to take inspiration from Cassierra, the speedy South American proving that one bad season does not necessarily equal a bad striker.
“I won’t lie, before moving to Zenit, I had the opportunity to make a different choice and end up in a serious European club,” Cassierra adds. “But I made a conscious decision, I wanted to play for Zenit. I have never regretted my choice.
“My family and I are very comfortable here.”
Rangers, according to reports, are looking into the prospect of adding another centre-forward to Philippe Clement’s ranks in 2024, though the ship appears to have sailed with regards to Cassierra.
