AND FOR MY NEXT TRICK
Dembele wants to go one better than his stunning derby treble as he prepares to face Rangers again
MIGHTY Moussa Dembele insists his Old Firm derby treble launched his Celtic career and is targeting even more goals against Rangers this time.
The Hoops frontman netted a dream hat-trick in a 5-1 thumping of the Light Blues when they visited Parkhead in the league back in September.
Dembele admitted he should have scored more when he ran Rangers ragged that day and hopes that is the case this time as he looks to continue his hot streak.
The 20-year-old has netted in all three games against Gers this season and would become the first Celtic player since John Collins in 1993 to score in four in a row against their rivals if he grabs another tomorrow.
Asked if a repeat of his hat-trick would be too much to ask, the former Fulham man said: “I hope it is going to be even more than three. I could have scored more in the last game at Celtic Park.
“I have had some good performances this season so I can’t really look and say which one was the best but that 5-1 win against Rangers was the day when my Celtic career really took off.
“It all started from that day so I will always remember it.
“If I scored three then I could score five but I still wouldn’t be happy with that. I scored six once but that was in an Under-13 game – we won the match 6-1!
“I don’t know why I have done well in the Rangers games. It’s not about them, it’s just about me. When I’m on the pitch I just try to give 100 per cent. I love big games.
“I am just ready for them. I like big games. I try to give 100 per cent.
“But that isn’t just true in the big games, it’s true in the small games as well. I give my all every time.
“However, my best play comes in big fixtures. I don’t know how to explain it.
“Rangers will probably try to stop me but that isn’t a change from any other team in the league.
“Everyone tries to stop the team and stop me from scoring. But when I am on the pitch I just focus on myself and my team. I don’t really care about who I am up against.
“When I go on the pitch I try to do my best to help the team get three points.
“If I can score it is great, if not it is good to help the team get three points. I just have to take it game by game and get ready for Sunday.
“Hopefully we can win the game. We have goals in every part of the team so even if they try to stop me, there are other players who can score. First of all, we have to get three points. That is the most important thing this weekend.
“If we can score more goals then we will do it but the three points are the most important thing.
“We are still unbeaten this season and hopefully that will continue in this match.
“We are a lot better since that 5-1 game. You can see a lot of improvement in our game, especially defensively. We defend better as a team. There is still a lot more to come from us.”
Celtic have slapped a £40million price tag on Dembele’s head with some of the world’s biggest clubs linked with the player after his 32 goals so far this season.
The youngster admitted at his unveiling he wanted to become the best striker on the planet but the laid-back Frenchman has been taking all the hype about him in his stride.
He said: “I have done a lot but I am still young. I am 20 years old and still learning. I have to keep training hard and pushing myself. Hopefully, I will make it one day.
“I believe in myself. I trust myself. No matter what people say, I will always trust myself because I know what I am capable of.”
Former Rangers boss Ally McCoist claimed the Hoops striker wasn’t worth £30m or £40m but when asked about the price tag, Dembele said: “It feels great because it means I’m not doing bad.
“I just have to keep going and training hard. If people talk about a change in price
That 5-1 win against Gers was the day my Celtic career really took off MOUSSA DEMBELE
tags or whatever, it means we have done a great job – myself and the club.
“We just need to keep going forward. Am I worth £40m? You tell me. I don’t know.
“A price is a price. I can’t tell you if I’m worth £40m, £50m, £30m or £20m.
“I just concentrate on my game. I focus on my season and at the end I will go on holiday and enjoy that. I don’t really look at the rumours, I just focus on my football.”
Dembele had a six-game run without scoring during December when Leigh Griffiths mounted a challenge for the No.1 striking role but the Frenchman roared back after the club’s winter training camp in Dubai And he said: “The break was good for me and for all the team. We came back strongly. “The time off was good for us. I have always been on my toes even when Leigh was injured. “It is not about a competition between me and Griff. It is a competition between me and myself. “But I am glad for Griff that he has come back and scored last weekend. It is good for any striker to score on their comeback.” Dembele’s exploits have seen him touted for a full France call-up when Didier Deschamps names his squad for next month’s World Cup qualifier against minnows Luxembourg and a friendly against Spain. He said: “I hope for a call-up but I’m not really looking to the full French national team yet. “We have this game on Sunday and then the squad list is out next week. I will focus on this game and then see what happens.”