With 12 goals in his first 17 games, it’s fair to say that Moussa Dembelé hasn’t taken a lot of time adapting to life at Celtic Park.
A hat-trick against Rangers FC and two goals against Manchester City in the Champions League have only emphasised the media coverage surrounding the former Fulham starlet, so much so that SFR Sport in France went to meet him in Scotland and interviewed Brendan Rodgers about him.
The former Swansea manager admitted he was already well aware of the player’s abilities during his time in charge of Liverpool, as the young striker made his mark on the Championship.
When he took over at Celtic, Brendan Rodgers decided he wanted a player who had a different style of play as Leigh Griffiths, and while Dembelé fit the bill, there was still a big doubt regarding the player’s will to join a team in Scotland.
He said: “One, I didn’t think I could get Moussa, and I thought, psychologically, that he would maybe want to go to a, say, more prestigious league, like the Premier League, but I have to say a huge congratulations to his agent, Mamadi, and the people who look after him.
“Because when I met them to talk about Moussa, it was very clear that they put his development first.”
The player himself revealed the club’s project, as well as the possibility of playing in the Champions League against some of the biggest clubs in Europe was a defining factor in his choice.
Add on top of that a stadium that made him go “Wow!” and a fanbase that fills Celtic Park even during ‘smaller games’, and in the end, the choice was easy.
Signing a four-year contract, we highly doubt he’ll stay that long, but for now, he’s there, and he’s going to enjoy it.
