Karamoko Dembele in brutal Celtic confession as prodigy claims Ange Postecoglou didn't rate him

Former Celtic star Karamoko Dembele has opened up on the the pressure he faced amid the mammoth expectation of trying to live up to his wonderkid status.

The 19-year-old became one of the most talked about teenagers in world football when he made his debut for the U20s aged only 13. But Dembele was never able to make the breakthrough to the first team that was expected before he earned Stade Brest after his Parkhead contract expired.

The former England youth international also believes Celtic managers Neil Lennon and Ange Postecoglou may have believed he lacked the X-factor to make the cut with the Premiership champions amid limited opportunities last season. But Dembele is convinced the best days of his career are ahead of him, as he aims to make a telling impact at a side who specialise in developing rising talents. Speaking to Ouest France, he said: "It's been very difficult for me. When you play so young, there is lots of pressure.

"It is what it is. I deal with it well. I enjoy my football so this does not matter. I love the French culture and I watch a lot of French football, the big teams like Marseille and PSG. I have also watched a lot of Brest since I came here so I know a lot about the team. I am here to play as much football as I can, have fun and do my best. I am actually strong for my size but I don't think size matters in football. You have other qualities to compensate for size. Physicality has never been an issue for me.

"A lot of reasons I can not say, but I think the manager didn't really like the way I played or saw something that was missing in my game. But I am here to prove what I can do. I like the way Brest play and it is a good league. These are all the factors that came to me picking Brest.