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RONNY DEILA isn’t just at Celtic to better himself. He’s there to better everyone.

So the day he takes a call from Barcelona, or any big club, asking about one of his players, he’ll be the one driving him to the airport. Because that’ll mean he’s done his job.

Same as he did when he turned Stefan Johansen from a disillusioned, bad-attitude Bosman ready to chuck the game into a £2million international playmaker in two seasons.

Same as he will do for Virgil Van Dijk or anyone else hungry enough to let him turn their dreams into reality.

The 38-year-old Norwegian arrived at Celtic Park on Friday like a man on a mission, determined to be as much a mentor as a manager.

And he insists there’s nothing wrong with being an idealist and a realist at the same time.

He said: “When you have players at this level they have targets and are there to perform.

“They want to go far. Some want to win trophies and many want to go to the next stage.

“Celtic are a big club but if we had the same money as the other clubs then everyone would stay here. That is the difference.

“But they have energy to be better. I can’t do the work for them but I CAN help them get better.

“I can help them reflect on what is around them and what they do and don’t use their energy on.”

Johansen is the poster boy for his methods. Picked up in a two-man deal from Bodo/Glimt, he was the bonus ball in what was effectively a £100,000 move for Anders Konradsen.

Deila saw enough in the then-20-year-old youth international to take a chance.

The former Stromsgodset boss said: “Stefan had a hard time before he came. He was out the team at his club, unhappy.

“His career was almost going under. Coaches gave up on him.

“I thought if we get something out of this then it is a positive and if not, it is no problem because there was no financial outlay. I heard before he came he had problems with his attitude but from the first day he arrived he worked very hard.

“If you are not in the team you can say the manager is a bad manager. But you have to think ‘Why am I not in the team?’

“Stefan was patient. It took him over a year to get into the team.

“But he must still work hard to improve – everyone must take the barrier even higher.”

Sitting alongside Peter Lawwell inside Celtic Park, Deila was more than aware the end result of any development would see his finest talent moved on.

Instead of complaining, however, he insists he’ll take it is a compliment.

He grinned: “I will be happy. I said to the boys, also to Stefan, that I am going to drive you there if you get a possibility.

“It is true. Because if you help people get their dreams that is what it is all about. You can talk about trophies, and I want to win, but if you do something with people that fulfils their dreams, then that gives me energy.

“If Barcelona want one of our players, then fantastic. Look at Stefan now at Celtic – he wins the league and it is an unbelievable achievement for him.

“I’m proud of that. The other boy from Bodo went to Rennes. The pair only cost £100,000 and they sold for nearly £4m. In two years, that is okay money.”

Deila has already spoken of his education and the role his qualities as a teacher have played in thrusting him from the little-known Norwegian side into the limelight.

But he revealed that learning on the job, and from his mistakes, has been as much the making of him as any degree he earned.

“What mistakes have I made as a manager?” he shrugged: “I’ve been naked, for a start!”

“Seriously, I’ve made many. In my first year as a manager I lost six games in a row.

“I hope that’s the only time that happens. Every match was going wrong and I stopped believing in people. I thought I was the leader and the only one with answers.

“But then I asked ‘What is happening? You have no energy’.

“They said, ‘Everything is perfect but we are mentally tired because of the demands’.

“I then understood what I had done wrong.

“You have to work WITH people, not push them down when you think you are on top yourself.

“You have to believe they want to perform, want to do well, want to develop – they just need the responsibility.

“So I learned – I changed things and they won the week after.”

Deila has furthered his football education with some of the game’s best – but growing up a Liverpool fan in the 80s, he has found a real affinity with Brendan Rogers.

He said: “When he took over Liverpool I had a good feeling.

“He’s calm, he has knowledge about leadership.

“When I talked with him, you felt it. Everyone in the room around him was happy, they had energy, and that’s what I’m after.

“I want people with energy around me. I want people who want to improve. And I will be leading by example.

“To be a manager, you have two parts. One is about football but the other 50 per cent is leadership – to treat people right.

“In that part, I have a lot of education. And it’s about personality as well. The hard way is sometimes the best way.”

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