Scottish football had its own "remember the name" moment on October 3 when Karamoko Dembele came off the bench to play for Celtic's Under-20 team at the tender age of 13.

News of the youngster's appearance quickly spread beyond our borders through social media to feed the endless appetite for discovering new names in football. It was almost as an aside that some noted Dembele had replaced Jack Aitchison, the youngest player ever to feature and score for Celtic's first team. There's always a next "next big thing".

The attention focused on younger and younger players is as much a product of modern life in general than it is of changes in football. Wider coverage of all levels of the game mean that it's no longer possible to hide a developing talent in his teenage years and videos of precocious talent go viral regularly, regardless of whether the kid is from Chile, Japan or Scotland.

The excitement about Dembele started before he took to the field against Hearts on Tuesday. Two months ago, footage of the youngster starring for Celtic at St Kevins Boys Academy Cup 2016 was shared, showcasing his skills and making it clear just how much he stood out against his peers. It's been viewed 150,000 times, while another YouTube clip has been seen by more than a quarter of a million people.

It's likely to be several years before Dembele is strutting his stuff with the senior team but for now he's a hope for the future. While it's worth noting that his promotion through several age groups for Tuesday's game came in a week where regular players were on international duty, his early exposure to the bigger leagues already puts him in the rarefied company of many wonderkids, some of whom made it to the very top and quite a few who didn't.

No Scottish football fan needs to be told of the dwindling fortunes of Islam Feruz, spoken of in hushed tones as he came through the youth groups for Celtic and Scotland before a controversial move to Chelsea. Now 21, Feruz has had loan spells at OFI Crete, Blackpool, Hibernian and now Mouscron and though the bulk of his career is in front of him his stellar rise now seems a distant memory.

Going further back, Freddy Adu was hailed as the saviour of US football when he played for DC United as a young teenager but a bumpy ride through senior football saw the one-time prodigy go through 13 clubs before his 27th birthday.

Norwegian starlet Martin Odegaard was chased by half of Europe before signing for Real Madrid and is being gradually introduced to life at one of the world's biggest clubs. His compatriot Kristoffer Ajer captained Start at the age of 16 but is taking a steady path to establishing himself at Celtic.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi were outstanding youth players, both playing age-group football while training with the first team from the very beginning of their careers and enjoyed a smooth and steady climb through to the very peak of the game. Wayne Rooney may be in decline now but had an unstoppable rise from Merseyside school football star to England and Manchester United.

Predicting such an ascent for Dembele would be unwise and unfair on a player Celtic are doing their best to shield from unhelpful and unwelcome pressure. After making the headlines this week he'll doubtless return to playing against his peers and exposed to increasily stern tests by his coaches.

While early exposure to the bigger game has put Dembele in the headlines, it's judging him against his peers that will give the best measure of his ability and potential.

In the video of the St Kevin's tournament, Celtic play the hosts, West Bromwich Albion and Barcelona. Against the Catalan side, Dembele turns and accelerates away from a kid of similar build with a shock of Valderrama-esque blonde curly hair.

That kid is Xavi Simons, who has a showreel of his own from the same tournament. He's tipped to follow many a star in making the transition from Barcelona's academy through to the first team and has already been the subject of attention from Chelsea.

The story of the wonderkid is one of the seductive in sport but the work to turn promise into a polished product goes on behind the scenes. After a brief moment in the limelight it's now for Celtic to continue their careful development in peace.

"Karamoko is still a young boy and has a lot of growing to do, both physically and mentally," Celtic's head of youth Chris McCart said. "The coaches at our Under 13 and 14 levels have been fantastic in nurturing his potential but it is crucial that we do not push him too far, too soon.

"He has a lot of hard work ahead of him to make it to the top and we won't rush that, but we also know Karamoko, and the other talented young players we have here, is at the perfect place to continue his progress and we look forward to seeing what the future holds for this young player."

Gordon Strachan has repeatedly talked about about the difference a star could make to Scottish football but is looking at the more realistic prospect of Oliver Burke and others stepping up to the plate. In Dembele's case, it's enough to briefly ponder "what if?" and hope he lights up our game in years to come.