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TALKING CELTIC

MOUSSA Dembele has hit 32 goals this season and has been nominated for both Player and Young Player of the Year by his fellow professionals – but the striker insists this is just the beginning for him.

The 20-year-old Frenchman raised a few eyebrows when he was unveiled at Celtic last summer by insisting Glasgow was a stop on his journey to becoming one of the best strikers in the world.

There was, inevitably, much scepticism at the remark and yet Dembele’s currency can be measured this season in the audience that has turned up to take in his performances.

Top-level clubs from the English Premier League as well as a host of European sides have scouted Dembele this term, with his performances in the Champions League in particular catching the eye.

Dembele’s temperament for the big occasion has been matched with a raw ability – and the player has maintained that the hard work won’t let up.

“I wouldn’t say this season has exceeded my expectations because I have big expectations for myself,” said the forward. “I don’t set specific targets, though; I just try to be the best I can be every day, at training and in games.

“When you give your best and you have the talent then things like this happen, but this is not the end – it’s just the beginning and I must keep working hard.

“As I told you when I first came, I want to be one of the best strikers in the world and the road is still far for me to go but I feel like I am getting there.

“I don’t know, it will come when it comes. I don’t set myself an age and keep working. I hope it will come soon but if not I just keep working harder.”

Aiden McGeady won both the Player and Young Player of the year nine years ago when he was at the beginning of his career at Celtic, but it is unusual for any player to be nominated in both categories.

Dembele accompanies fellow Hoops Scott Sinclair and Stuart Armstrong on the senior list – Scott Brown’s name was a notable omission – while Patrick Roberts and Kieran Tierney have been included in the Young Player section.

Dembele first showed his maturity when he came off the bench, before he had scored his first goal for Celtic, to calmly dispatch a penalty against Astana and send Celtic through to the conclusive Champions League play-off.

That composure has been evident throughout the campaign with a hat-trick against Rangers in his first outing against the Ibrox side. That and his brace against Manchester City were described by the player himself as the highlights of this season and it is easy to see why.

AND it is the exclusive company of the Champions League group stages where the striker is well aware that goals and performances in this environment carry much more stock than those netted domestically.

“This season I think there was a lack of experience I would say,” he said. “The club hadn’t been there for two or three seasons and for a lot of us it was out first experience in the competition. Next season we will be stronger than this season. We have kept on improving since the start of the season so we can do better again next season.”

Celtic will hope that Dembele is there for any squad list that is submitted to Uefa, assuming that they make it through the three arduous qualifying rounds this summer. The

I want to be one of the best strikers in the world and I feel like I am getting there

striker’s profile remains high and it seems inevitable that at some stage there will be an offer made for him the club cannot refuse.

A betting man would count on the forward being persuaded to remain in Glasgow at least until the qualifiers are out of the way, but the player himself says he is no rush to leave Celtic.

“I have never said that I am going to leave this club,” insisted Dembele. “I have said nothing about transfers and I don’t want to speak about it. This season has not finished yet and for me I just want to focus on my fitness and come back stronger.

“I am not thinking that way. The next step in my career will be for me will be to get back on the pitch.

“I don’t listen to what people are saying in the media. I have people around me who take care of that, so I just have to focus on my football 100 per cent when I go on the pitch.

“I have got a four-year contract. I have never said I am going to leave this club. I just focus on Celtic.”

MEANWHILE, the player believes that he and the Parkhead side have been an ideal match.

“They have made me improve,” he said. “But it is not a case of what have Celtic done for me it is a case of what we have done together.”