Wilfried Bony thinks Kolo Toure should tempt Karamoko Dembele into playing for Ivory Coast.
Stoke City’s Wilfried Bony in action with Hull City’s Curtis Davies
Stoke City striker Wilfried Bony has told The Scottish Sun that he thinks Karamoko Dembele should play for Ivory Coast – and called on Kolo Toure for help.
Dembele hit the headlines last week by coming on as a substitute for Celtic’s Under-20’s against Hearts, and the reason that was so special is because he’s just 13 years old.
General view inside Celtic Park
The diminutive playmaker is now being tipped for a huge future with Celtic, and The Sun claim that Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United are all looking to snap up the teenager.
Whilst there appears to be a tug-of-war on the horizon over his domestic future, his international future may in fact head the same way.
Celtic’s Kolo Toure in action with Barcelona’s Lionel Messi
Born in England to Ivorian parents but brought up in Scotland, Dembele is able to play for all three nations – and the trio will surely fight and scrap over Dembele’s allegiance in the coming years.
Now, Stoke City striker Wilfried Bony – currently on loan from Manchester City – has been discussing Dembele’s international future, and unsurprisingly lobbied for him to choose the Ivory Coast.
Wilfried Bony looks dejected after missing a penalty
Ivorian international Bony is one of his nation’s top players, and told The Scottish Sun that he thinks it ‘makes sense’ for Dembele to pick the African side over England or Scotland as his parents were both born there.
Bony even suggested that another Ivorian, Celtic’s Kolo Toure, could tell Dembele how great it is to play for the Ivory Coast.
“It makes sense to choose the Ivory Coast,” said Bony. “Both his parents are from the Ivory Coast — that is a big part of who he is. Kolo Toure is at Celtic, I am sure he can tell him all about how great playing for the Ivory Coast is. It is arrogance to suggest that his only decision is between Scotland or England,” he added.
Do you think Dembele should pick England, Ivory Coast or Scotland?
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