Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers has compared Moussa Dembele to Didier Drogba – and John Hartson agrees.
John Hartson
Celtic hero and current pundit John Hartson has told The Scottish Sun that he thinks Moussa Dembele really could become the next Didier Drogba.
The Bhoys may have seen Leigh Griffiths smash 40 goals last season, but manager Brendan Rodgers decided that he wanted to bring in another striker during the summer transfer window.
Celtic’s Moussa Dembele
After hitting 17 goals in all competitions for Fulham last season, it was Moussa Dembele who Celtic chose to sign, snapping him up for modest compensation after his contract at Craven Cottage expired.
The 20-year-old attacker had been pegged as one for the future, and his relatively slow start to life in Glasgow had some fans wondering whether Rodgers had made a mistake signing the Frenchman.
However, his record now stands at 12 goals in 17 games for Celtic, having scored twice in last week’s stunning 3-3 draw with Manchester City in the Champions League.
Celtic’s Moussa Dembele celebrates scoring a goal
After the game, Rodgers told The Telegraph that he felt Dembele could become the next Didier Drogba – a huge comparison given that the Ivorian hit more than 150 goals for Chelsea.
Now, former Celtic striker John Hartson has told The Scottish Sun that he thinks that ‘the sky is the limit’ for Dembele, and admitted that he could become a superstar striker just like Drogba was.
Hartson added that he realises that Dembele is raw, but his physical ability means that he could be a top international striker over the coming years under the tutelage of manager Rodgers.
John Hartson
“Didier Drogba was the ultimate modern-day striker,” said Hartson. “For Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers to compare Moussa Dembele to him is the ultimate compliment. But if anyone can help the French kid emulate the Chelsea legend, it’s Rodgers.”
“Watching the Manchester City game, it’s clear the sky is the limit for Dembele — he can become an absolute superstar like Drogba. He was strong, powerful, held the ball up, and got his two goals. Big clubs all over Europe will have sat up and taken notice. It was a stunning performance from a very special young talent. Immediately, it led to the ‘new Drogba’ tag and while it’s a bit early for that, the similarities are there.”
“The French youngster is still raw. There are parts of his game he needs to work on in the coming years, but the ingredients are there. And what a physical specimen he is — I noticed that the first time I clapped eyes on him in the game against Lincoln Red Imps. Dembele is an athlete and has all the attributes to become a top-class, international striker,” he added.
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