Imagine for a moment that instead of turning out for Celtic’s under-20s at Cappielow last night, the same 13-year-old Messi-anic talent, Karamoko Dembele, made his debut for Morton’s under-20 side. With all the scouts in Scotland and beyond watching his ever move, what chance Morton fans would be in a position to watch the lad grace their first team for anything more than a fleeting moment?
Celtic, among many others, would be all over the situation. His advisers would ensure that when he approaches his 16th birthday his career options were as open as possible – that’s if he’s still part of Morton’s development setup by that stage.
It’s easy to see Morton’s place in the food-chain. They would be totally incapable of offering a young player anything remotely like the compensation the likes of Celtic would. Self-awareness regarding the food-chain position is less common.
A few years back I watched a preseason game at a lower league club with a scout who worked for Manchester City, as well as a few lesser lights. When the subject got around to Celtic’s then equally Messi-anic prodigy, Islam Feruz, there was little the scout didn’t know about the player.
He could quote every stat and report ever written on Islam, but he didn’t make comfortable listening. “The boy will never play for Celtic”, was his verdict. “All the big English clubs want him and one of them will offer so much money, he’ll not refuse. Celtic can’t come close to offering the same.” I had plenty of hope that he would be wrong but as Islam’s 16th birthday approached, Chelsea outbid all others to transform his bank balance beyond all recognition. His subsequent demise is a footnote in the tale of player development.
Clubs cannot offer a professional contract until a young player turns 16. It does the developing club no good whatsoever to have a prodigy, evident to the world, before this age. Once he’s 16, he can be offered a professional contract, and the club can secure a subsequent transfer fee. If he leaves before this, the most the club will earn is a modest training compensation fee. Even if the parent club manages to secure the player on a contract, it’s likely to be something like Martin Odegaard’s at Strømsgodset – due to expire while the boy is still a boy, limiting game time and transfer fees accordingly.
Will Karamoko Dembele make it? If he does, will he be the exception to the rule that takes Teenage Kickers into the financial stratosphere before they are ready? Let’s hope it’s yes on both counts, but consider me skeptical for the next three years until we find out. On both counts. Until then we we can enjoy watching a great talent come through the ranks, but nothing more significant.
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Almore – Great story, proud Dad, well done Marc
HH
Almore
A heartwarming post. Congratulations to all concerned.
You are rightly proud.
Does he fancy managing a café by any chance.
HH
Almore
Well done to you and yours!
Congratulations to Marc, a terrific achievement.
Just went onto BBC Sports Scotland website and saw 3 Barry Fergihun Stories
Clyde manager Barry Ferguson
Ferguson: Scotland cheers and regrets
Barry Ferguson on ‘Boozegate’ episode
Best manager rant? – Barry Ferguson quickfire
Guess we can see where the January rangers hotseat is swinging……
almore,
tell your mark it wisnae his fault the economy crashed in ireland,
just co-incidence.
but seriously, i love posts like that be very proud,
ALMORE….
Congratulations to your bhoy. Yourself and your Mrs will be proud of your sons achievements.
It must be hard that he is so far away, as my brother is finding out with his son now in Sydney with his family.
As you say, instruments like Skype softens the blow. All the best to your bhoy. Hail Hail
ALMORE,
Brilliant news. Congratulations to your son on a magnificent achievement and to you and your good lady. You have every right to be proud of Marc in his academic success.
Soon we might be congratulating you on cutting the first sod for Cafe Almore next to the Superstore. HH
Great story Almore, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, Congrats to all involved.
Almore
Great news mhate …many congratulations to Marc…was worth all the hard
work son ,well done.
hullo
aye your through to rangers angry statements and threating communicatons department, how can i increase yours, and ours angst today ?
oh is at right
oh they said whit
aye me an awe mate, totally offended,
ah know who dae they think they are
leave it with us, we are on it now, check the webite sinte in 3 minutes, we wabt to break a record in getting an announcement out there.
—————–
“We, the people, are outraged to hear that scottish football , not content with assaulting rangers players in the safety of their living rooms, that the authorities think its okay to be called huns”
we seek urgent clarifications from sturgeon and lawell.
we wont sit here taking this.
and that zombie tune is unacceptable.
as is calling us monkeys
Almore , fantastic news and congratulations to Marc.
Celtic making an announcement about a cafe would round off your day nicely lol
Almore-lovely story, well done to you all HH
ALMORE, great news you must be very pleased and proud!
ONEMALLOY, I’ll be in touch closer to the game!
FAC the Act
KTF
I wonder what the Neil Oliver programme about settlers from Scotland and links to the KKK will identify, this is being shown at 9pm tonight BBC2
you’re a great dad almore
upthedubscsc
Saint Stivs…
Just for the monkeys…
https://g.co/kgs/E9UrTl
Congratulation to young Mister Almore. An example of dedication,persistence and no mean achievement. Congrats also to Almore and his wife whose undoubted encouragement and support helped him through ‘the dark days’.
Cheers ghuys for your kind comments. I will copy them and post them to Marc so that he has some sense of his achievement.
Special mention to Aussie Rhebels Mebourne Mick and Paddymacoz who are organising a little tribute to Marc on our behalf.
Off to bed now as we’ve got to get up up at 1.30am to watch the ceremony.
Marc’s first job when he returns will be to commission a report for big Pete into the economic viability of a fans’ café, beside the superstore. And it won’t be biased, I promise:-)
Oíche mhaith.
Almore… Braw post….with Marc by your side …the cafe will be a winner !!!
Smiley thing ….
Braw.
SETTING FREE THE BEARS FOR RES. 12 & OSCAR KNOX on 3RD OCTOBER 2016 9:31 PM
The lady sitting next to you last night at the FAC meeting was waxing lyrical about how eloquent you were!
FAC the Act
KTF
Congratulations to your son Almore.
Now first things first. I think a reasoned economic paper outlining the revenue making opportunities of a Café in the environs of Celtic Park, should be prepared and presented to the PLC as a matter of urgency.
HH
Aaah you’re ahead of me.
Almore –
Brilliant story! No better feeling when any of the weans do just anything that makes the parents proud.
Almore
Your son’s story is the story of how we smashed the orange ceiling here in Scotland – so many who post on here where the first in our family to reach the Academic and Professional heights.
To you and your family and to us and all our families:
Well done, God Bless and Hail Hail
VFR800A8 on 4TH OCTOBER 2016 8:58 PM
SETTING FREE THE BEARS FOR RES. 12 & OSCAR KNOX on 3RD OCTOBER 2016 9:31 PM
The lady sitting next to you last night at the FAC meeting was waxing lyrical about how eloquent you were!
FAC the Act
—–
Ha ha Marie wasn’t sitting next to SFTB! :-)
I hate international football weeks.
I worry about injuries to our players impacting our season.
Although young Dembele the youngers inclusion in U20s due to players being on international duty has generated a ton of publicity worldwide.
There is some really amazing young talent in the Celtic youth set up.
Really hoping to see Nesbit and Miller make the step to the first team up soon.
Niall Oliver’s programme on Scotland and The Klan should be interesting…………..
………wonder if he’ll
put twa’ an’ twa the gither………………..
Ah well, must’ve been 2 eloquent people there then!
Do you know who it was?
FAC the Act
KTF
Bada Bing –
I drive a Hyundai I40.
Very easy to drive and very economical.
Fine for longer distances and very reliable.
Bought it 2 years ago after returning from Oz and have never had a single problem with it, other than a couple of bulb replacements.
Play Karamoko in the LC Semi Final
B-)
Talking to a friend early this evening who informed me that she had received a phone call asking her if she had Celtic shares and was she prepared to sell them. The caller appeared to be speaking with an American accent.Strangely enough the caller was able to tell my friend her name in full and to inform her on the date on which she was born.
After the call , her husband informed her that someone had called her earlier in the day interested in her shares.
Has anyone else had a similar call today? Hopefully no one will have been tricked into giving up his/her shares. But it would be interesting to know if there is some move afoot to buy out small shareholders. This one I can assure you is not for selling.
If Almore’s son has a degree in economics …. lets not waste his talents on a cafe …. I say bin PL, and hire Almore’s son to run Celtic…. he’s obviously a bright boy, and if he’s anything like his dad seems to be, he obviously gets Celtic. seems pretty obvious to me.
HT was right.
There was no woman sitting next to me to admire or laugh at my eloquence.
Mind you the guy across the aisle from me looked like he might be a weekend cross-dresser :-)
I heard earlier,that in the semi final Brendan Rodgers isn’t sure whether to go with Griffiths or Dembele as his lone striker.He feels,that at 13 Dembele might be a bit too young.
Watching Neil Oliver on BBC2
Could be interesting.
Just heard
‘They had a history of conflict with Catholics’
Also just heard:
‘A sense of entitlement ‘ – ring any bells?
And they still fly the Southern Cross at iPox
https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/lifestyle/671757/secret-link-buchan-ku-klux-klan-revealed/
Almore. Congratulations on the success of Marc. It will be a wonderful moment for all of the family when he returns to Erin’s Green Isle.
Yep, Scots protestants behind the formation of the Klan. Big surprise….NOT.
Slave owners and all round good guys.
HH