Credit: Imago

Daniel Davis

Tue 14 April 2026 17:10, UK

As Youssef Chermiti pumped his fists in celebration in front of the raucous Rangers away end at Falkirk, his lightning rod tendency to attract criticism was forgotten.

Just seconds before, the striker had ghosted in between two defenders and twisted to touch home Djeidi Gassama‘s low cross at the front post. It was far from a simple finish, but Chermiti, defying all of the questions around his Ibrox suitability, made it look easy.

Sporting the iconic No 9 on his back, he looked every bit the archetypal Rangers frontman – just as well considering he opted for the hallowed shirt after joining the club in September 2025. That was a brave call indeed by the 21-year-old, but he relished the challenge.

Still, Chermiti remains a conundrum in Glasgow. He was bought for £8million from Premier League club Everton with a shaky reputation, and the jury still remains out among supporters. Yet he has also proven himself as the man for the big occasion.

Chermiti scored twice in Rangers’ 6-3 win against Falkirk on Saturday, helping them to fight back from two goals down to move within one point of the Premiership summit.

Youssef Chermiti’s Rangers future still uncertain

After Rangers officially confirmed the deal for Chermiti, the club released photographs showing him holding up his new shirt. His name adorned the top, but there was no number.

Behind the scenes, conversations were still taking place over whether he should take the No 9, considering the sheer weight of the jersey. It was even put to the young ace that he should consider a different number, allowing him to find his feet at Ibrox away from the spotlight.

But after taking a night to make up his mind, Chermiti was undeterred.

The following day, he was officially handed the No 9. He had bravely accepted the challenge and the scrutiny that came with it, despite not scoring a goal in two years. It took him almost two months to get off the mark at Ibrox, but consistency remains a problem.

His signing was used as a stick to beat former sporting director Kevin Thelwell after his slow start at the club, but the hierarchy remained steadfast. Of course, they wanted him to make an immediate impact, but they also knew they had invested the £8m for the future, too.

Chermiti’s long-term future at Rangers remains uncertain. However, putting in identical performances to his bruising outing against Falkirk will go a long way to helping him stay.

Danny Rohl deserves at least some of the credit, having decided to partner Bojan Miovski up top with Chermiti in the second half. With the duo working in tandem, the much-improved Gers produced an xG of 2.46 while taking eight shots and creating four big chances.

This was in comparison to a meagre xG of 1.26, 12 shots and three big chances in the opening 45 minutes, when Chermiti was ineffective while ploughing a lone furrow.

The frontman has now scored 11 goals and also boasts three assists from his 25 league matches in his debut campaign for Rangers – a solid return. But there remain doubts over his ability to replicate his heroics in games against “lesser” opposition, and that’s a problem.

There is a reason not everyone is convinced. Chermiti has a tendency to drift through matches. His movement is sound, and he clearly has razor-sharp instincts in and around the penalty area, but he simply isn’t stamping his authority often enough.

He and Rohl must address this urgently.

How can Chermiti silence his doubters?

It will be a source of real frustration for Rohl that he hasn’t been able to get the best of Chermiti often enough. There have been flashes of brilliance, shown by his four-goal tally against Celtic and hat-trick against Hearts this season, but there remain deep flaws.

He is arguably still carrying the scars from his bruising stint at Everton.

There, he had made just two starts and did not score a goal after joining from Sporting CP for £11.5m in 2023. Still, he continued to work hard, adding three kilos of muscle to help himself adapt to the Premier League, and he remains a consummate professional.

The determination is there, then. Now his form must match it.

For large swathes under Russell Martin, he had every reason to complain that he hadn’t been receiving enough service. In this bold new era under Rohl, that is no longer the case. Rangers are now creating golden chances for Chermiti, and he must begin taking them regularly.

His display against Falkirk would have given Rohl cause to smile. His movement was inch-perfect throughout the 90 minutes, and both of his finishes proved he is capable of being in the right place at the right time. This may well decide whether his side win the Premiership.

While the Light Blues could still be tempted to cash in in the summer, with PSV Eindhoven said to be keen, they would do well to stick by him. After all, Chermiti’s never-say-die attitude matches that of Rohl’s. Together, they may just be able to get Rangers over the line.

Updated 24/7 with expert analysis from the heart of Govan.