Karamoko Dembele gets England call-up despite Celtic wonderkid having already represented Scotland
CELTIC wonderkid Karamoko Dembele has been called up to the England Under-16 squad - despite having already played for Scotland.
The London-born starlet is at the centre of an international tug-of-war after making his Scotland Under-16s debut in the Victory Shield earlier this month.
But Dembele – who trained with the England Under-15 squad in October – could now be about to be snatched by the Auld Enemy.
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On Instagram last night, he wrote "Glad to be picked for England against Turkey in December."
However the teen sensation then deleted the post.
The news will come as a huge blow to SFA chiefs who have vowed to do everything in their power to keep the teenage sensation away from the clutches of England.
Speaking after Dembele’s Victory Shield call-up, Stewart Regan said: “We will try and do everything we possibly can to bring him into the Scottish system.
“That’s something we definitely have on our radar, but if you have talented players — and talented players who are eligible for other countries — they are going to be attractive to other associations.
“We have to do what we can — and that is why he has been called into the Victory Shield squad.
“We want to make him feel wanted and valued and, certainly, Celtic are doing that.
“I visited the Performance School at St Ninian’s a couple of weeks ago and saw the set-up they have, which is magnificent.
“The attention he’s getting as a young player, being brought into the Scotland set-up at a young age, at 13 years old, is a fantastic opportunity.
“Ultimately the choice will come down to the boy and his parents but we’ll do all we can to make him a Scotland player.”
Dembele attracted worldwide attention by playing SEVEN years above his age group in the reserves.
The little striker's appearance against Hearts Under-20s in September sparked interest around the globe.
Barcelona and several top English clubs are understood to be keeping tabs on the youngster's progress.
Dembele has lived in Scotland since he was five and is also eligible for the Ivory Coast.