Cyriel Dessers can be characterised as both the problem and the solution for Rangers. He has been the hero and the villain, the recipient of boos and cheers. A year into his Ibrox career, Dessers continues to split opinions and narratives.

On Saturday at Tynecastle, his detractors pointed to a couple of missed chances – the most notable of which was a second-half header that struck the woodwork – and used his performance and the result as proof, in their eyes, that he simply isn’t good enough. On Tuesday in Lublin, Dessers gave his backers enough ammunition to see them through the next couple of weeks as he earned Philippe Clement’s side a draw with Dynamo Kyiv and altered the complexion of a tie that Rangers are now favourites to win.

The moment was celebrated with typical Dessers style. One arm was raised towards the band of supporters in blue behind the goal, while his left hand was tucked into his shorts. It was a goal that had all the coolness and composure of the man - Turkish Olympic shooting star Yusuf Dikec - that Dessers modelled his pose on.

Dessers is not as bad as many would have you believe, nor is he as good. He is what he is. As it stands, he is the best that Clement has. Indeed, he is perhaps the only one that he has.

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As the clock ticked down and Rangers headed for defeat, many supporters would have had the notion to introduce Danilo from the bench. The Brazilian may be short of sharpness and fitness following his lengthy rehabilitation from knee surgery but he would have provided a different target for Rangers to hit and a different opponent for Kyiv to deal with. Clement had other ideas.

The faith that the Belgian has in Dessers has perhaps been tested during some difficult moments but there is credit in the bank from both perspectives. Managers live and die by their decisions and the one that Clement made paid off. He stuck with Dessers and his man delivered.

The cross from Vaclav Cerny was pinpoint. The finish from Dessers was clinical. Clement spoke afterwards about the character of his team and how he demands that in every session and every match. He referenced the impact that Cerny and Jefte, a half-time introduction, made from the bench and how they had the faith that they could make a difference. The one who did that with the final touch of the game has shown resilience and spirit throughout his Rangers career.

“I think the big symbol for that is Cyril today,” Clement said. “Because he played a really good game, and he had a few good finishes, but there was a really good goalkeeper on the other side, who also played for the national team of Ukraine. So, he kept on digging in, and he didn't lose his belief in that way, and he was there at the decisive moment. That’s what you want for a striker, that they never give up and keep on going.”

The No.9 jersey that Dessers wears can weigh heavy on the shoulders. With great power comes great responsibility. Had Rangers suffered a first-leg defeat, Dessers would have taken his share of the criticism once again, even though he was far from the worst performer on the night.

He could perhaps have done better with an early chance when a rebound from Tom Lawrence’s drive fell to him. Later in the half, the offside flag was raised after a header that should have been placed either side of keeper Georgii Bushchan was directed straight at him.

Missing chances is part and parcel of being a striker, an occupational hazard that comes with the opportunity to be a game-changer or match-winner. With his last sight of target, Dessers got his goal.

As Cerny shaped to cross wide on the right, Dessers began his run from the edge of the area. Jefte held his position and Ridvan Yilmaz retreated as Lawrence and Dujon Sterling didn’t get any further than midway between the six-yard line and the penalty spot.

Dessers did. Taras Mykhavo couldn’t get a head on the cross and Dessers was alert to the space between the centre-backs. This time, he found the finish when it mattered most.

It was 12 months ago this week that Dessers scored his first European goal for Rangers as he netted in the Ibrox victory over Servette. Two assists followed against PSV Eindhoven but it took until that night in Seville for him to contribute again as he set up Abdallah Sima and then scored on his finest goals of the campaign to help Clement’s side see off Real Betis.

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He went on to score 22 times in all competitions. Yes, it could and should have been more, but Dessers can say that he held up his end of the bargain in a side that underperformed and underachieved. Speaking after his brace in the friendly with Union Berlin last month, Dessers pointed to the confidence he has taken from hitting that mark and the 'different feeling’ he had heading into his second campaign at Ibrox. He is not new, but he could be improved.

“Yes, but also in the league,” Clement said when asked about the big European moments from Dessers. “And I see a player that the last seven months has developed a lot in many assets, because he wants to learn, although he's not 20 years old anymore, he's 29 now I think, but he takes on every piece of information, and I only see him grow the last couple of months in several things that we discussed, that we trained, that we worked on. So, I think we will get a lot out of him this season, and he's going to be very important for the squad in that way.”

It was telling that Clement raised the subject of Dessers when asked about the character of his squad and then returned to the Nigerian international in the final question of his post-match press conference. This was a night for Dessers to take the acclaim of the support and feel the love of those in the dressing room.

That was evident when Dessers conducted his own media duties in the aftermath of his strike that put Rangers in the ascendancy heading to Hampden. Few players within the squad have had as much said and written about them over the last year. The headlines were positive on this occasion and the rave reviews were merited.

 "As a striker you have to believe, even if it is an impossible ball or you don't think it will fall [to you],” Dessers told BBC Scotland. “I knew it was the last ball into the box in the game, and that was the case. I was happy to be on the end of it.

"I don't have to answer people, I'm just doing my job for the team, for the manager, and for myself. That's the only thing that matters. It would be nice to get more recognition for what you do, but I get the recognition inside the building and that's most important.

“There are always reactions from the media or from a small part of the fans - but the bigger part of the fans gave me a lot of support and a lot of love. Hopefully, it's a beautiful night for all of us. We have the qualities to finish this tie off and we should at home, but it will not be easy."

Dessers will continue to have his faults and continue to frustrate. While Danilo and Hamza Igamane are unable to contribute, Clement needs Dessers to continue leading the line. Whatever questions are raised over his attributes, his mental fortitude and physical robustness cannot be queried.

At the end of last term, there were no guarantees that Dessers would even be at Ibrox for the first European fixture. The tentative approaches from potential suitors have not materialised into money on the table and the chances of a Champions League payday rest largely on the shoulders of Dessers. Clement, of course, carries that burden more than anyone and he could take satisfaction on a night when the end justified the means.

“Yes, and that's what I told them, you need players who are brave, players who have balls, who have personality, who want to work really hard for this shirt,” Clement said when asked if Rangers got their rewards for setting up aggressively in the first leg. “It's the only kind of players we want in this squad, players who want to work hard for the team.

“And then at the end of the road, you will get your reward for that. We're going to continue in that way, to work in that way, and to make every detail better every time. And of course, it will not be every game that you're better than the last one. That's not realistic, but it needs to be growing the next weeks, the next months to a better level than now. And I'm very confident about that, about the things I see in the training sessions and the things they showed also today on the pitch.”

Rangers still have problems. Clement is still working to find the solutions. The boos must be replaced by cheers.