Born in Ivory Coast, Siriki Dembele spent his formative years playing football on the streets of the African country before moving to Scotland where he soon joined Dundee United’s academy system and started on the path to becoming the exciting winger we see today.
Born in Ivory Coast, Siriki Dembele spent his formative years playing football on the streets of the African country before moving to Scotland and is now set to make his debut for AFC Bournemouth on the Jurassic Coast.
The former Peterborough and Grimsby man was one of seven signings to join Scott Parker’s side during the January transfer window and in an interview with the local press - including NERVE SPORT - the explosive winger opened up about his love for football and becoming a Cherries player.
“I have always played football as a kid,” responded the 25-year-old when asked about life as a kid in Ivory Coast. “On the streets playing football - not at a club or anything - just playing football and enjoying myself.”
Always smiling, the Ivorian-born attacker went on to reveal the players he most admired growing up and supporting the same team as his father - a friend of Yaya and Kolo Toure’s father - who remain family friends to this day.
“I just always had that as a kid, watching Ronaldinho, Cristiano Ronaldo - when he was at United before - I wasn't a United fan - my Dad was an Arsenal fan so I am an Arsenal fan,” he continued.
Dembele’s youth career started at Dundee United in 2004 before joining Ayr United in 2015. After just one year with Ayr, the winger found himself at the prestigious Nike Academy south of the border in England which led to his first professional contract.
“It was basically like a club but it was not a club, you play your Man City’s your Liverpool's you know teams in the Premier League and Championship,” he explains.
“It was just basically to get scouted and I played there and from there I went to Grimsby.”
In his debut season with The Mariners Dembele played 36 times in League Two finding the net on four occasions and admitted it was tough playing at that level.
“League Two was a bit brutal,” he says..
“It’s changed now. I think they actually play more but before it was a lot of long balls and this and that so it was a bit difficult.
“I think the higher you go in the leagues the easier you actually find it - for myself and the player I actually am.”
Peterborough soon came calling and the pacey forward would go on to make 147 appearances for The Posh scoring 30 goals and making 30 assists before finally getting a move to The Cherries.
Parker acted swiftly to capture Dembele - a player the former England international had long been an admirer of.
When asked about when he was first made aware of the interest in him from Bournemouth, Dembele responded: “Since last year.
“It never happened or anything. Then this month, I would say two weeks before the transfer deadline, that's when I kind of heard something might be happening.
“Then two or three days before the deadline happened I think that's when things actually started to happen.”
Dembele had attracted interest from Blackburn and Birmingham but chose to join Parker’s side on the Dorset coast despite it meaning he would be further from his family whom he considers to be an important part of his life.
“Obviously, my family is very important to me and I think Blackburn, for example, I could have gone to which is only three hours from home, but I look at the bigger picture and what is more important to me is the football side of things,” he reveals.
“That is the reason why I came here. The style of play here suits me more. I think Bournemouth have a better chance of getting promoted and that is why I chose to come here instead.”
He added: “Birmingham came in but I definitely thought Bournemouth was the better choice - promotion, the better football they play, it was just better for me.”
With Birmingham next up for the Cherries, Dembele is looking to make his mark at Vitality Stadium and believes he will fit right into Parker’s system.
"Yeah 100%,” he states confidently when asked about making an impact on the team. “I am looking forward to it and getting the fans off their seats, enjoying football, making people happy, scoring goals, assisting and making people smile.
“I can play inside and I can play wide as well. I love to score goals and assist goals.”
Dembele is seen as an alternative to Jaidon Anthony on the left side of the Cherries front three and the 25-year-old confirmed that is exactly what he has been brought in to do.
“That’s why he ;Parker] brought me here - I am a winger.
“I know at Peterborough after Darren [Ferguson] came I was a striker through the middle. I like playing ten but striker is not really my position, I prefer playing off the left.”
And with five goals already to his name this season, Dembele will be looking to make an immediate impact if selected for the tie against Birmingham and knows he can add something a little different to Parker’s side with his ability to take players on.
“That is what I like to do, that is why I was brought here as well to do what I do. - we’ll see.