Dembele and Burke SFA report cards augur well

Little over six months after his controversial appointment, Malky Mackay watched as proudly as any parent as the latest group of budding footballers were enrolled into the SFA’S performance school programme.

On top of recent encouraging performances on the field from a variety of Scottish age groups, the performance director delivered news that could only help hearten many of those in attendance at Hampden yesterday.

Karamokodembele,mackay reported, is “desperate” to play for Scotland in the upcoming Victory Shield tournament. In addition, Oli Burke, Scotland’s most expensive ever player, is settled at RB Leipzig, helped by his family having moved out to join him in Germany, and hopes to make his Champions League debut next month.

Both players managed to get where they are by developing outwith the SFA’S auspices – Dembele attended Celtic’s own performance school at St Ninian’s in Kirkintilloch, while Burke, pictured, grew up in England.

But they bear testimony to what can be achieved – though in the case of both there’s much work still to be done.

Dembele is only 14 but is already caught up in a socalled tug-of-war between Scotland and England, for whose Under-15s he has also played. But he was back in a dark blue jersey last month while helping Scotland Under16s to a victory in a tournament made up by Uruguay, Qatar – and England. He was also involved when Scotland Under-16s triumphed in a Uefa mini tournament at Oriam in February, against strong opposition in Croatia, Austria and Iceland.

Mackay rates it as the first time in his lifetime that a Scotland side could be said to have been technically superior to one from Croatia.

Dembele was one of those who helped him reach that conclusion.

“I spoke to his dad earlier this month and Karamoko is desperate to play for us in the Victory Shield in Northern Ireland,” said Mackay. “I’m also not naive,” he added. “Until a player sticks on a Scotlandjerseyandplaysinaeuropeanchampionshipsqualifier or a World Cup qualifier, then theycanplayforanothercountry. In the last year I’ve spoken to a player who was called the night before he was due to play for Scotland by an agent and asked to change nation.” Asked if Dembele feels more Scottish than anything else at this moment in time, Mackay replied: “It’s not a question I’m going to ask him at this point. He’s a young 14-year-old boy. I’m not going to start asking him questions about what he feels.

“His father is from the Ivory Coast, he’s worked and lived in both Scotland and England,” he added. “What do any of us feel at that point? Do you feel happy? That’s something I would suggest asking.

“As far as any of our youngsters are concerned, I’m going to give them the best chance, the best pathway, if they want to come with us.”

Mackay has recently returned from a trip to Austria to watch Red Bull Leipzig at their pre-season camp after being invited by sporting director Ralph Rangnick. He took the opportunity to spend time with Burke.

“I had a couple of hours with him,” he said. “We built up quite a good rapport over in Toulon [where Burke recently skippered Scotland’s Under-21s]. Hecutshortaholiday to come to Toulon when he could easily have said he wasn’t doing it after the disappointment of not making the main squad. I went over and talked to him about his mind set. His mum, [step] dad and sister and girlfriend have