KARAMOKO DEMBELE today signed a Scottish FA Youth Registration with Celtic along with numerous other young Celts.
Celtic’s Head of Youth Chris McCart was delighted that this has now been sorted.
“We are delighted that Karamoko and his parents have decided to continue his development at Celtic,” McCart said.
“He is a talented young player and someone who will continue to receive the very best of care and support from everyone at the club, as he has for some time.
“Clearly there has been considerable publicity surrounding Karamoko, but our focus will be solely on Karamoko’s needs as a young player and we will commit ourselves, as we do with all our players, to giving him the very best opportunity to flourish in football and all other aspects of life.
“Like all young players, it is very important that Karamoko is given the time and space to reach his potential and we believe that our programme will provide such an environment.
“He is still a very young player and he knows how difficult it is to reach the very top in football but we will give him everything he needs to achieve what he can in the game.
“It is important that undue pressure is not placed on any young player and having been at Celtic for some time, he and his family know that his welfare is our number one priority.
“We are vastly experienced in this area and we are pleased that Karamoko and his family have also decided that our Youth Programme is the best place for him to continue his development.”
Karamoko’s dad Losseni Dembele was just as happy.
“For me it’s about my son’s development and I feel that there isn’t a better place than Celtic for him at the moment,” he said.
“He has been here since he was six-years-old and it would be brilliant to see him playing at Celtic Park in front of 60,000 fans, but I know this will not happen easily and will take hard work and patience.”
Meanwhile Karamoko was happy to talk about the wonderful club he has committed his immediate future to.
“I’m delighted to have signed at such a wonderful club and I think this is the right place for me to fulfil my potential and achievements. And my goal is to reach the first team,” the youngster said.
“It’s not going to be easy becoming a footballer at such a big club, but I will show hard work, commitment and the biggest one for me, responsibility.
“With Celtic being responsible for my development and what I do in my football career, I have wonderful people around me nurturing my talent and it’s up to me to put the hard work in.”
Karamoko will continue to attend Celtic’s innovative coaching and education programme at the club’s partnership school St Ninian’s High School in Kirkintilloch.
