Dembele fast becoming £50m man for Gamboa
● Celtic full-back lauds Frenchman’s ‘world-class’ goal against Hamilton
There was practically a scoff from Cristian Gamboa when, post-match on Saturday, he was asked if Moussa Dembele could cut it at a top-six club in the English Premier League.
Gamboa played there with West Brom before he made the move north last August. In his 18 months there, watching the fare from the self-proclaimed greatest league in the world – mostly from the bench – he would rarely have witnessed a goal any more sumptuous than that produced by the 20-year-old to set Celtic on their way to a 21st straight league victory in this season for the ages, a fact which the full-back made plain.
“He can go to Real Madrid or wherever he wants. He is a topclass player,” said Gamboa, pictured. “The age he is, just 20, means there is a lot that he still has to do. But he is having a really good season. It is good for Celtic and it is good for us as a group. We enjoy having him here. We need him. The first goal was world-class.”
Hamilton’s resistance was broken when Dembele showed poise and precision to spin round towards goal as if the ball was Velcroed to his foot and then send it sailing into the top corner of the net like a guided missile. Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers’ assessment that he “oozes quality” brooks no argument.
With 29 goals, Dembele truly
CRISTIAN GAMBOA
weaponises a side that would comfortably win the title without him but wouldn’t be able to win 31 games in a 32-unbeaten domestic season.
Gamboa considered the weekend opener – with a 59th-minute penalty conversion giving Dembele a second before he gave way to Leigh Griffiths – the reason why the French striker has an ever inflating price tag on his shoulders. He joked that talk of his worth being in the region of £40m wasn’t over the top.
“No, no chance. I’d give you 50 for him, but I don’t have the money,” said the full-back. “He can go wherever he wants [but] we enjoy having him here and hope we can enjoy having him for a long time. He has to decide, the club have to decide. It is his decision.
“Just imagine what he’s going to be like when he’s 25 when he is a more mature player and he has more experience. He is a strong player and he shows everyone that in training all the time. I wish the best for him. But we enjoy him just now. He may go to another club, but just now he is here until at least the end of the season so we should enjoy his football and his goals.” Celtic are so often winning by playing within themselves at home, it is only the anticipation over what Dembele might conjure up that is keeping the crowd switched on.
One of Rodgers’ great feats this season has been his ability to keep so many players focussed and able to fit in effortlessly, whenever they are called upon. A slight knock to Mikael Lustig provided Gamboa his first start in a month, which he capitalised on with a purposeful showing.
A match against Inverness Caledonian Thistle on Wednesday night at a Caledonian Stadium that is the only top-flight ground in Scotland not to witness a Celtic victory is likely to stretch the champions elect more than Martin Canning’s now bottom-placed side. Celtic are likely to remain untouchable, though.
“It is a good squad and it is a big squad,” said Gamboa. “When somebody drops out another person will do his best. I think this is the key. We have this run, we have gone unbeaten in a lot of games, because it is a good squad and everybody is ready to play.”
“He can go to Real Madrid or wherever he wants... He is here until the end of the season at least so we should enjoy his football.”