Celtic starlet Karamoko Dembele has shared how he used the football shutdown to try to improve his game, as reported by the Celtic View.
Just like the rest of Scottish football, Dembele was forced out of action in March.
That curtailed what could have been a promising end to the season for the player. He might have had gained more first-team opportunities as soon as the Hoops clinched the league.
That didn’t stop Dembele from trying to make the most of the football shutdown though. He has used the lay-off to get stronger physically.
“During lockdown, I tried to get as strong as possible” Dembele said, as quoted by the Celtic View (Volume 56, Issue 3, Page. 24).
“It was a good period to try and improve anything that I’m not the best at.
“You need to be strong to play at the top level but it’s not the biggest part of football. You need to have a good mentality and be able to play.
“If you can be smarter than the opposition you wouldn’t get yourself into difficult physical situations.”
The attitude displayed by Dembele in the comments is why he looks to have a bright future in the game.
Even though he has been involved in the Celtic first-team as a teenager, realising the dream of many academy talents, he isn’t satisfied. He wants to improve and reach his full potential.
More opportunities beckon
That can only be a good thing for the player and for Celtic going forward. Neil Lennon will presumably have been impressed with how Dembele has used his downtime to improve as a winger.
The very busy schedule that Celtic are set to face for the rest of the season could also work in Dembele’s favour. Celtic’s squad players will perhaps have to play a greater role than usual.
That could mean more game time for Dembele, who came off the bench against Hamilton and was named as a substitute against Kilmarnock.
The teenager has yet to start a competitive match for the Bhoys but surely being named in Lennon’s match eleven is on the horizon over the next few weeks and months?
In other news, KR Reykjavík suffered a defeat ahead of Tuesday’s game against Celtic.
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