Ex-Gambia skipper Pa Dembo Touray played eleven seasons with Sweden’s Djurgarden, except for brief loan spells with Assyriska and Valerenga, and he is still regarded at the Tele2 Arena as a cult figure.
During his time with the Stockholm club, the goalkeeper played more than 200 games and won two national championship titles, two Swedish cups and one Superettan title. But in February 2012, he moved to Santos in South Africa, where he played until the summer of 2015.
The former Real de Banjul keeper last year returned “home” to Stockholm, where his family still lives, and is now a goalkeeper coach for Swedish division three side IFK Lidingo. But for some time, he has also taken the leap into the business of football agency. He is part of the Global Football Consulting, an agency run by Andreas Kouvatsis and former Gambia international Njogu Demba-Nyren.
“It has been one of my dreams, to work as an agent or scout in my career. I have had these thoughts for years,” Pa Dembo Touray told Swedish publication FotbollSkanalen in an interview on Friday, adding that the idea is to work with the markets in The Gambia, South Africa, Senegal and Kenya, by bringing them to Sweden.
“[We want to bring] players who are really hungry to come to Europe. There is always quality [in The Gambia]. I opened the door [for them] here in Sweden. Now we have players like Omar Colley, Pa Dibba and Kebba Ceesay. There are many good talents in Gambia; the clubs just have to give them a chance to come here. There are many teams that want CVs and videos on the players, but it can be hard to find video clips from there, and sometimes you have to take a chance as Djurgarden took a chance with me. The first time I came here, they knew nothing about me.”
He added: “I just started. Now I work behind Andreas (Kouvatsis) and continue to listen to him. Then we will see in the future what to do. There are things going on. But I’ll take it step by step. I have learned a lot already.”
Asked about his opinion on agents when he was a player himself, Dembo decided to reserve his opinion, but added there are some who are good at their job and vice versa.
“I had a few agents in the beginning when I came here to Sweden. Everyone thinks they lied all the time. Where are they now? They have no players. They have nothing, because they used to lie. You have to be honest all the time. If there is something going on, just say to the player,” he added.
On Omar Colley and Djurgarden
Pa Dembo’s compatriot Omar Colley now plays for Djurgarden and has been one of their best performers with the centre back linked with moves to Hertha Berlin and Espanyol.
“I’m proud of how Omar has developed. Right now he is one of the best center-backs in the league. I’m proud of him. He came to Sweden, went to my team, took my number, joined the squad and took my captain armband. Damn, what’s happening here? (laughs). No, but I’m so happy for him. He does a very good job. It’s fun to see a different Gambian do well in Djurgarden,” he added.
During the interview, Pa Dembo was presented with a picture of him in Djurgarden’s colours. In the photo, he sits in front of a wall whose wallpaper is a picture of joyful blue-striped players after one of the club’s good moments in the 2000s.
“This is the time I want to see Djurgarden get back to the time around 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005. We won almost everything and played in Europe,” he said, before pausing for a while and added, “I want to see Djurgarden start winning derbies again. It is important.
“I understand that it is frustrating for the supporters. The last time they won a derby was in 2011, it was my last derby. It is so important for the supporters, the players and the club. They need to start winning derbies,” he concluded.