If Stewart Regan wants to see Karamoko Dembele playing for the full Scotland international side his best move would be to keep quiet.
The 13-year-old recently created a storm of attention when he appeared for nine minutes as a substitute for Celtic in the Development League.
A few days afterwards Brendan Rodgers admitted that he hadn’t anticipated the media reaction and would be extra careful with the development of the 13-year-old that he described as a child.
Since that appearance against Hearts, Dembele has been missing from the Celtic development side.
Without any fanfare or media briefings the FA have had the London born teenager training this week with their u-15 squad.
In what appears to be a panic move that will bring more attention on the 13-year-old, Dembele has been named in the Scotland squad for the u-16 Victory Shield Series.
Until he pulls on a full international shirt, like any other player, Dembele will be free to play for whatever of the home countries he wishes for. Through his parents he can also play for the Ivory Coast.
Rather than working quietly behind the scenes Regan has put extra pressure by going public with Scotland’s claim for the 13-year-old.
“If you have talented players and talented players who are eligible for other countries then, clearly, they are always going to be attractive to other associations,” Regan stated. “We have to do what we can – and that is why he has been called into the Victory Shield squad.
“We can only do everything we possibly can in our power. Ultimately the choice will come down to the boy and his parents. But we will do all we actually can to make him a Scotland player.”
A lot of water will flow under the bridge with the odds stacked against Dembele developing his potential into that of a full internationalist. The game is scattered with forgotten wonder boys nursing broken dreams.
Regan’s intervention does Dembele no favours, time and fate will decide whether the London born kid ever gets the offer to play full international football.
Having bungled their way into losing Aiden McGeady and James MxCarthy who were effectively brought up in the shadow of Hampden it seems that no lessons have been learned by the SFA.
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