Rangers FC Player Profile - Neraysho Kasanwirjo

Neraysho Kasanwirjo was born on 18th February 2002 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. He played his early football at local club Amsterdamse Voetbalvereniging Zeeburgia.

In 2011, aged just nine, Kasanwirjo was scouted and recruited by the globally renowned Ajax Youth Academy, and spent the next decade with the Dutch giants. He made 78 total appearances for the club’s youth teams—at U17, U19, and U21 levels—scoring three goals and creating four assists.

Rangers FC signed him on loan from Feyenoord with an option-to-buy next summer, and announced his arrival on transfer deadline day, 30th August.

Rangers FC Sign Neraysho Kasanwirjo from Feyenoord

Speaking in his first interview with Rangers TV, Kasanwirjo said:

“I’m very excited to join the club and play for the fans.

“I spoke with the coach who had a good feeling, and the most important thing for me is to play and help the team as much as I can.

“It’s a really big and traditional club. There are a lot of memories and you need to win games. I want to win and bring the level of the team up, so it’s a good step for me.

“I’m a feeling person, and it’s what the coach and assistant coach told me about the club. You need to play with your heart and that’s what I like. I think this is a really good club for me to play with my heart and show what I can do.”

FC Groningen signed Kasanwirjo in May 2021 upon expiry of his contract, and the 6ft 1in defender signed a three-year deal. Over the next two seasons, he made 52 appearances for the club, with three goals and one assist.

Manager Philippe Clement welcomed Kasanwirjo to the club, saying:

“We are thrilled to welcome Neraysho to the football club and we believe he will be a big asset to the team.

“He can play in a number of defensive positions and will be a good option for the squad with the domestic and European commitments we have this campaign.

“He is looking forward to starting the next chapter in his career and we are pleased Neraysho has decided to join Rangers.”

In January 2023, Feyenoord struck agreement with FC Groningen for the young defender, and signed him on a four-and-a-half year contract. However, Kasanwirjo would only make nine appearances for the club before being loaned out to Rapid Vienna in September 2023.

Director of Recruitment Nils Koppen commented:

“I would like to welcome Neraysho to Rangers and we are delighted he has joined our squad.

“He is someone I was aware of from my time in the Netherlands and we believe he has the quality and the right character to play for this club.

“He is someone who can easily adapt to new surroundings and will bring great energy to the team.”

Kasanwirjo made 28 appearances for the Austrian club last season. He has also represented the Netherlands at various age groups—U15, U16, U17, and U21—scoring three goals in 33 appearances. In 2022-23, he won the Eredivisie with Feyenoord, followed by the Johan Cruyff Shield in 2024.