MOUSSA DEMBELE has thanked Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers for making him a better player.
The 20-year-old French striker took his goal haul to a remarkable 32 with his tap-in during the Hoops’ 4-1 Scottish Cup win over St Mirren on Sunday.
That has set up a semi-final clash against Sevco Rangers next month – and the 20-year-old hitman has netted in all three games against the Ibrox side this season.
Dembele thumped in a hat-trick in the 5-1 win at Parkhead in September, followed that up with the League Cup semi-final winner at Hampden a month later and fired in the equaliser in his team’s 2-1 triumph at Ibrox on Hogmanay.
While he might not appear as SBAT’s bet of the day come Sunday, his fine form will no doubt make him odds on with the bookies. Keep an eye on the latest news If you’re considering a punt on another Dembele goal-fest.
The former Fulham prospect, who joined the champions for a £500,000 development fee in the summer, insists he has developed his game since arriving – and is seeking to improve even more.
He said: “In the last 12 months, I have improved every aspect of my game. I have worked hard at it, but since working with the manager, Brendan Rodgers, I think my awareness has got much better. That is not the only thing. There are other areas where I have got better”.
“My whole game is better now than what it was this time last season. That is what the manager has helped me with. He has worked with me a lot on the training ground and I feel as though I am getting better all the time”.
“I want to keep pushing. I want keep getting better and I feel as though I can do that here. I was always confident I would come here and score goals. I have always believed in my ability”.
“But I am a better player than I was this time 12 months ago, that is for sure.”
Dembele, who scored 17 goals in the Championship for the Craven Cottage side last term, is looking forward to a dramatic and winning conclusion to his debut campaign in Scotland.
He added: “We are calm. We are just looking to keep going in every game. It is nice to be winning, it is nice to have the lead that we do, but we still want to be better. Every player here wants to get better. We are as hungry today as we were at the start of the season”.
“We treat every team we play against in the same way. We won’t go into the game thinking anything else other than that we have to work hard – that is the way we start every game”.
“We feel confident every time we step onto the pitch, but we know there is no such thing as an easy game.”
Sevco Rangers are next up for the French Under-21 star when they arrive at Parkhead this weekend.
