Celtic striker Moussa Dembele has consigned his hat-trick against Rangers to the past as he looks for more goals against them on Sunday.
The turning point in the 20-year-old French striker’s season following his summer move from Fulham came in his first Old Firm game at Celtic Park last September.
After coming on for the injured Leigh Griffiths, Dembele left Parkhead with the match ball following the thumping 5-1 Ladbrokes Premiership win over the Ibrox men.
Dembele scored in each of his following two games against Rangers and has taken his tally to 32 for the season with his six league goals in February earning him the Ladbrokes Premiership player of the month award.
While acknowledging the importance of the Old Firm hat-trick, he is looking forward rather than back.
“It was a big moment in my Celtic career,” he said.
First hat-trick
“It was my first hat-trick as a professional footballer and my first league goals too for Celtic.
“It is all about opportunities.
“I try to take mine when the gaffer gave me a chance to play and since then I have tried to give 100 per cent in training and in games to stay on the pitch.
“It was a good day to remember but it has gone now and we have another game on Sunday.
“As a young kid you dream of being part of games like this and now I am so I will just enjoy the moment and show what I can do.
“I am looking forward to the Rangers game as I have been looking forward to every other game.
“We have to make sure we prepare like we prepare for every other game.”
Dembele, who cost Celtic a reported £500,000 (€569,000) when he made the move from Fulham, has been tipped for a call up to the France senior side for the World Cup qualifier against Luxembourg on March 25th.
Big game
The in-form forward also scored four goals for the French Under-21 side – including a double against England late last year – and was named as his country’s best young player of 2016 in December.
However, he does not believe Sunday’s match is necessarily the chance to clinch his place in the French squad.
He said: “I would say I am not far from it. I will try to keep working and it will come when it comes but I don’t think about it.
“I have a big game on Sunday. People will know what I am capable of. It is not just about this game, it is about what I have done through the season.
“We will see what happens next week but first we have to take the three points.”
