KARAMOKO DEMBELE was lauded as a soccer sensation after making his Celtic debut for the Under-19 side at the age of 13 in October 2016.
At the age of 15, the player signed his first professional contract with the Hoops to keep him at the club until 2021.
Dembele made his senior debut as a second-half substitute for Oliver Burke in a 2-1 league win over Hearts at Parkhead on May 19 2019, a week before he was named as substitute for the Scottish Cup Final against the same opposition.
Neil Lennon’s team once again triumphed 2-1 to lift the trophy, but Dembele remained on the substitutes’ bench at Hampden. In October the same year, influential French football magazine L’Équipe named Dembele as one of six “outstanding young players set to revolutionise the game”.
NOW YOU SEE ME…Karamoko Dembele during one of his 10 Celtic appearances.
Unfortunately, the youngster didn’t live up the the hype, which had reached hysterical levels at times.
Dembele scored his solitary first team goal for the Hoops after coming on as a substitute in a 4-0 league win over St Johnstone at Parkhead on May 12 2021.
He sustained a fracture to an ankle during a pre-season friendly against Bristol City in July 2021 and underwent an operation later in the year. After being an unused substitute in three first-team games, Dembele returned to action in the top side on March 2 2022 as a substitute for Filipe Jota in Celtic’s 2–0 win over St Mirren.
After a mere 10 appearances and one goal, Dembele, at the age of 19, left Parkhead at the end of his contract in July 2022 to join French outfit Brest on a four-year contract.
Asked about the lack of game time at Celtic, the one-time Bhoy wonder answered that he thought team boss Ange Postecoglou was not a fan of his style of play.
Dembele made only two substitute appearances following the arrival of the Greek-Australian gaffer in June the previous year and he told the local media: “I think the manager didn’t really like the way I played or saw something that was missing in my game.
“But I am here to prove what I can do. I am not sure why it didn’t work out. But that is God’s plan.
FRENCH FANCY…Karamoko Dembele after signing for Brest in July 2022.
“It’s been very difficult for me. When you play so young, there is lots of pressure. It is what it is. I deal with it well. I enjoy my football, so this does not matter.”
Just over a year later, he agreed a season-long loan at English third-tier Blackpool where he scored eight goals and contributed 14 assists.
Queens Park Rangers were alerted to the qualities of the 5ft 3in flanker and another season-long temporary transfer was agreed with the Ligue 1 side where he made only 18 appearances without claiming a goal.
Dembele, now 23, signed a permanent contract with the Championship club for an undisclosed fee in September 2025.
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