Moussa Dembele joined Celtic 10 years ago, in the summer of 2016, in a cut-price deal from Fulham, and he has now reflected on that move in a new interview. The Moussa Dembele Celtic career turned the striker into a Parkhead favourite inside a matter of months, and he says the scale of the club hit him the moment he stepped inside the stadium. Dembele went on to score some of the biggest goals of the Brendan Rodgers era before an eventual fallout with the manager ended his time in Glasgow.
Record Sport Interview Details Retrospective Quotes
Dembele’s conversation for the Record Sport retrospective interview covered his earliest memories of life in Scotland, including a pre-season camp in Slovenia where he first got to know his new teammates. “When I joined the team, we were in Slovenia on pre-season camp. Even there, we had fans who came and supported us. I got to know the lads, to fit into the group and then once we stepped into Glasgow I just realised wow. I had the staff and the players behind me, so they helped me out as well,” he said.
He also joked about his first impressions of the Scottish climate. “The first day I came to Glasgow, I think it was snowing. In the summer,” Dembele said. He added that his career only really took shape once he arrived at Celtic Park. “Why are my memories so good? I think because everything really started for me when I signed for Celtic. At Fulham I was young, going through the Academy and the first team and starting to learn the game.”
Champions League Penalty and Rangers Hat-Trick Context
Dembele’s defining moments at Celtic arrived early. He won and scored a stoppage-time penalty against Astana in a Champions League qualifier after the tie had finished 1-1, a goal he still credits with settling him into the team. “I’m the kind of guy who, on the pitch, I just do it. You can always miss, but at least you tried, so that was one one of my attributes. If I fail, I fail. But if I don’t try, then I’ve 100 per cent failed already. That’s why I was really calm in situations of pressure. I’d say it all started with that penalty. I think it gave myself and the team and the club relief,” he said.
Celtic then lost 1-0 on astroturf in Gibraltar against Lincoln Red Imps, a result that fell on Dembele’s 20th birthday. “When I arrived end of that June, I was turning 20. And, when we played in Gibraltar and lost 1-0 on astroturf in the Champions League qualifier, that’s the day I turned 20. To be fair, arriving was nice. Scottish people are very friendly, they welcome you in a good way, so you feel a part of everyone,” he recalled.
His most celebrated display at Celtic Park came in a 5-1 win over Rangers, when he scored a hat-trick with Leigh Griffiths missing through injury. Dembele credited his strike partner for handing him the spot kick that started the rout. “Griff gave me the ball and I just said: okay, no problem, I’ll just go and do what I do best, score. That gave me confidence that my team-mates trusted me in such a moment,” he said. Our analysis of recent derby battles shows how rare that level of dominance over Rangers has since become, and our preview of the derby match looks at how this season’s fixture compares.
Current Saudi Arabia Role Alongside Former Teammate
Dembele’s Celtic career ended after a controversial fallout with manager Brendan Rodgers, and the Moussa Dembele Celtic chapter closed on an awkward note despite the highs that came before it. The striker now plays in Saudi Arabia, where he lines up alongside former Celtic teammate Jack Hendry. Dembele says the Scottish accent he once struggled with has become second nature, and it still comes in handy with his old friend today. “The fact that I spoke English helped me a lot, but it took me around a week or 10 days to understand because obviously the accent is different. Now it’s fine. I’m with Jack Hendry here in Saudi and I’m the only one who understands him!” he said.
