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Fullname: Karamoko Kader Dembélé
aka: Karamoko Dembélé, Karamoko Dembele, Wee Dembele, WKD, Kaddy
Born: 22 February 2003
Birthplace: London, England
Signed: July 2016 (signed as Celtic junior), 24 Dec 2018 (full professional)
Left: 1 July 2022 (freed end of contract, left to Stade Bretois (France)
Position: Midfielder, Winger
Debut: Celtic 2-1 Hearts, League, 19 May 2019
Debut Goal: Celtic 4-0 St Johnstone, SP, 12 May 2021
Squad No.: 77
Internationals: England / Scotland ? [which international team played for]
International Caps: ? [complete at end of career]
International Goals: ? [complete at end of career]
Biog
Early days
Before even his first senior match, Karamoko Dembele had been spoken about for a long time as the next big prospect. Already impressing as a junior, he was touted for the big time, and thankfully he opted to remain with Celtic rather than move away despite the overtures from the major clubs down south especially following the disastrous experience of Islam Feruz who had moved to Chelsea before he was even a First Team player at Celtic.
In 2019, the esteemed French journal L’Equipe even listed him as one of six players who would dominate football in years to come. He wasn’t to even come close (and in fairness he wasn’t the only one from their selection to also underachieve the forecasts).
Dembele was born in London but raised practically wholly in Scotland, his family having moved to Glasgow before his first birthday. However he had flitted between the Scotland & England junior national sides with no set allegiance. He also had a brother who played for Bournemouth and another brother who was with Celtic’s playing academy.
Dembele made his debut in the 2018/19 season ending league match v Hearts as Celtic were heading for the Treble-Treble. He came on as a sub and was a breath of fresh air, with some great movement and passing. You could see his talent with his speed & skill on the ball, but it was fellow youngster Mikey Johnstone who won the main headlines but Dembele almost deservedly stole them for himself.
Karamoko Dembele made history when he made his European debut for the Hoops away to CFR Cluj in the final Europa League Group E match. The youngster, who at 16 years, nine months and 21 days old, became the youngest ever Celtic player to feature in European competition, and the youngest ever to play for a Scottish team in Europe.
So much hope for him but he was given little to no opportunity by manager Neil Lennon, and that was despite heavy squad rotation in the disastrous 2020 /2021 season. Only Stephen Welsh was afforded regular starts and that was late on. Dembele was out the picture to the frustration of many, and reports were already leaking out of his desire to walk away at the end of the season leaving Celtic with nowt.
Some rumours and reports were stating about a lack of effort and physical development that he was too easily pushed aside, and most would agree that he was not ready to make a full step-up just yet. There were increasing concerns his career could mirror that of Islam Feruz, but there was still time to rectify that. Neil Lennon had been a terrible developer of players in this second spell, and few if any improved in his tenure. There was a bail out of young players at the first chance possible, so morale throughout the club was low. Dembele needed time & patience.
He took good pride in his first goal, in a 4-0 win over St Johnstone in May 2021, which was hoped to help things to kick on from there.
“It was good to score but enjoying football again was the main thing. I’ve not played in a while so it was good to get out there and have fun.”
Karamoko Dembele (2021)
Ange Postecoglu era
This new era was hoped to be his time to shine but an unnecessary and over aggressive challenge on him by an opposition player in a pre-season friendly game v Bristol City caused a serious injury which knocked him out quickly. Complications in the healing of the ankle fracture hindered things further and he was lost for around six months. He had shown glimpses of what he could achieve so it was frustrating.
Once he recovered late on into the season, he managed a couple of appearances but the team had recovered and was successfully heading towards a league title, bolstered by a number of midfield additions to the squad making opportunities more difficult for Dembele.
It was already clear and an open secret about his frustrations, and in the summer of 2022 there were reports bandied about possible suitors albeit none from the major stables. It was therefore no surprise when he opted at the end of his contract to walk away from Celtic and sign for French side Brest/Stade Bretois. The only surprise in this move was that it was not a gilt-edged club, and likely reflected that despite all the earlier forecasts for his career, he was now no longer on the radar of any of the premier clubs, and was back at square one.
In any case, Stade Bretois potentially had a bargain on their hands and things could turn around for him in time given the right application & development, but many would argue that Celtic would have been the best place for him especially under Ange Postecoglu who had already proven his ability to develop a range of players.
On the other hand, Karamoko Dembele reflected back on his time stating:
“It’s been very difficult for me. When you play so young, there is lots of pressure. It is what it is. I deal with it well… I am actually strong for my size but I don’t think size matters in football. You have other qualities to compensate for size. Physicality has never been an issue for me… A lot of reasons I cannot say but I think the manager didn’t really like the way I played or saw something that was missing in my game”.
We wished him the best.
Post-Celtic
[….]
Quotes
“It means a lot to me to start my professional career at Celtic. I came here at a young age, and, after all the stuff me and family have been through together, it’ll be good to make them proud.”
Karamoko Dembele (2021)
“Every young player has got a different pathway. Karamoko has been one who, probably from the age of 14, has been spoken about as the next superstar.
“Some people are ready earlier than others. He is probably one who has still got a bit of development in him. He is a terrific talent, we know that. We spent a lot of time at the start of the season with him, we had to get him up to the level of intensity we need, and he has come back and showed himself well, and that’s why he got the minutes on the pitch.”
John Kennedy (May 2021)
“It was good to score but enjoying football again was the main thing. I’ve not played in a while so it was good to get out there and have fun.”
Karamoko Dembele (2021)
“It’s been very difficult for me. When you play so young, there is lots of pressure. It is what it is. I deal with it well. A lot of reasons I can not say but I think the manager didn’t really like the way I played or saw something that was missing in my game.”
Karamoko Dembele (2022)
Playing Career
| APPEARANCES | LEAGUE | SCOTTISH CUP | LEAGUE CUP | EUROPE | TOTAL |
| 2018-19 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Goals | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019-20 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Goals | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020-21 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Goals | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2021-22 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Goals | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 8 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 10 |
| Goals | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Honours with Celtic
Pictures
KDS
Articles
Delight as Celtic sign Karamoko Dembele on first professional deal
By Joe Donnelly
2018
https://www.celticfc.com/news/15514
CELTIC are delighted to announce that Karamoko Dembele has signed his first full-time professional contract with the club, in a deal that sees him remain at Paradise until at least 2021.
Dembele joined the Hoops in 2013, aged 10-years-old, and made his Under-20s’ debut against Hearts in October 2016 – coming off the bench for a side then seven years above his age group.
Speaking to the official Celtic website, Dembele said: “It means a lot to me to start my professional career at Celtic. I came here at a young age, and, after all the stuff me and family have been through together, it’ll be good to make them proud.”
When asked how he sees himself as a player, Dembele said he considers himself creative and always keen to put on a show. He named James Forrest as a particular source of inspiration, and admired the path Youth Academy graduates Kieran Tierney, Callum McGregor, Anthony Ralston and Mikey Johnston have made into the Celtic first team.
The young midfielder also stressed the importance of his family network, and commended the efforts of everyone who’s played a part in his journey so far.
“I’d like to say thank you to everyone, and I’d like to thank everyone for everything they’ve done for me,” he said. “I’d also like to thank everyone for the training I’ve received, the discipline I’ve been taught, and the advice I’ve been given all the way.
“Getting attention at a young age has been hard, but I’ve obviously had my family to help me through that. You need to be strong mentally, you need to stay grounded, and you just need to get on with everything that you do on a daily basis.
“Seeing players come through the Academy and into the first team gives you hope, because you know they’ve taken the same path. That means you’ve got a chance to make it into the first team if you work hard and give it your all.
“My brother Siriki, who plays for Peterborough United, first taught me how to play football. I wasn’t always interested in football, but he brought me in and he helped me. He helps me in everything I do. If I have a bad game, he’ll talk to me and he’ll say, ‘don’t be down, keep your morale high’.”
Against the attention, Dembele remains humble and grounded – but that hasn’t stopped him setting his targets high, as he embarks on his professional career at the Hoops.
“My goal is to play for the first team,” he said. “As soon as I can, I’m going to try to get into the first team, 100 per cent. In the Reserves, every training session, every game – it’s all to prove myself to the manager that I can play in the first team.”
Karamoko Dembele in ‘very difficult’ Celtic claim as he says Postecoglou ‘didn’t really like’ his style
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/american-football/karamoko-dembele-in-very-difficult-celtic-claim-as-he-says-postecoglou-didnt-really-like-his-style/ar-AAZk3ZC
Ben Banks 14 hrs ago
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Karamoko Dembele says it’s been difficult dealing with the hype that came with him at Celtic as he opens up on his exit from Parkhead.
Karamoko Dembele while at Celtic© SNS Group Karamoko Dembele while at Celtic
The 19-year-old winger has signed a contract with French Ligue 1 club Stade Brestois 29 after his deal in green and white expired. Dembele was hailed as one of Europe’s most exciting teenagers in his early teens after appearing in an U-20s match at the age of 13. That only translated into 10 senior appearances for Celtic though and his last campaign was marred by injury.
After suffering an injury in pre-season, the England youth international spent the first half of the campaign returning to fitness before struggling to make an impact in boss Ange Postecoglou’s plans. Last term saw him play just two games and 20 minutes of senior football although he did feature for the club’s youth squads. There is hope for the future though.
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Speaking to French publication Ouest-France, the former Parkhead starlet has revealed that Postecoglou wasn’t a huge fan of his playing style and that there are some things that have to remain unsaid about his Glasgow stint.
But it was an easy decision to choose Stade Brestois 29 as his next club, looking to put behind him the difficulty of dealing with relentless expectation so young.
He said: “It’s been very difficult for me. When you play so young, there is lots of pressure. It is what it is. I deal with it well.
“A lot of reasons I can not say but I think the manager didn’t really like the way I played or saw something that was missing in my game.
“But I am here to prove what I can do. I am not sure why it didn’t work out. But that is God’s plan.
“I am here to play as much football as I can, have fun and do my best. I am actually strong for my size but I don’t think size matters in football. You have other qualities to compensate for size. Physicality has never been an issue for me.
“I like the way Stade Brestois 29 play and it is a good league. These are all the factors that came to me picking here. I like entertaining fans and having fun. I like to score goals and do all the things an attacker needs.
“I love the French culture and I watch a lot of French football, the big teams like Marseille and PSG. I have also watched a lot of Stade Brestois 29 so I know a lot about the team.”
‘Reasons I can not say’ – Ex-Celtic star on exit and Ange Postecoglou revelation after surprise move
Karamoko Dembele believes Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou didn’t like the way that he played.
https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/celtic/reasons-i-can-not-say-ex-celtic-star-on-exit-and-ange-postecoglou-revelation-after-surprise-move-3760831
By Joel Sked
Friday, 8th July 2022, 7:40 am
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The winger has departed Scottish football, joining French side Brest.
Dembele was a free agent after his Celtic contract expired and he signed a four-year deal with the Ligue 1 club.
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The 19-year-old made ten appearances in total for Celtic, two of which were under Postecoglou. However the teenager is of the belief the Australian had reservations about his style of play.
“It’s been very difficult for me,” he told Ouest France. “When you play so young, there is lots of pressure. It is what it is. I deal with it well. I enjoy my football so this does not matter.
“I am here to play as much football as I can, have fun and do my best. I am actually strong for my size but I don’t think size matters in football.
“You have other qualities to compensate for size. Physicality has never been an issue for me.
“A lot of reasons I can not say but I think the manager didn’t really like the way I played or saw something that was missing in my game. But I am here to prove what I can do. I am not sure why it didn’t work out. But that is God’s plan.”
Dembele alluded to the pressure on and around him. He was one of the most highly-rated youngsters in Scottish football and further afield a few years ago.
He trained with the first-team at Celtic under Brendan Rodgers and made his debut at 16.
Now he is looking to play regularly and enjoy his football in France.
“I like the way Brest play and it is a good league”, he said.
“These are all the factors that came to me picking Brest. I like entertaining fans and having fun. I like to score goals and do all the things an attacker needs.
“I prefer the right wing and I like playing in number 10. I can play for Scotland, England and Ivory Coast.
“I just need to focus here first though.
“I have learned the Ivory Coast culture more as my parents are from there but I grew up with the Scottish culture. But I have played for the English youth national teams too.”