Johansen Hails Deila Impact

Photo by Jeff Holmes Celtic's Stefan Johansen was lured to Scotland by former boss Neil Lennon - but the Hoops playmaker says it is Lennon's successor Ronny Deila who has been key to his player of the year bid. The Norway international has been named on the four-man list for the annual PFA Scotland prize alongside Parkhead team-mate Virgil van Dijk, Aberdeen hitman Adam Rooney and Dundee forward Greg Stewart. His nomination is reward for an impressive campaign that has seen the 24-year-old take over as the beating heart of the Glasgow giants. Deila must also take a share of the credit after moving Johansen forward from a central midfield role to a slot just in behind the strikers, and the 12 goals he has struck so far prove it was a wise decision. Johnasen admits he is playing at his peak and thanked the man he first worked with at former club Stromsgodset for showing such faith in his talents. He said: "It's great to be nominated. It shows you have done something right. "I'm playing further forward this season and that has been important. Last year I arrived in January and had just six months to get used to the culture here and the tempo of the game. "But this year I got a full pre-season with a gaffer I know and have been played further up the park, so that was important for me. "Ronny was the guy who took me to Stromsgodset and helped me a lot with the things I needed to work on. "Then I got sold here and Ronny joined soon after. "He is a good gaffer who cares about the small details and that makes you a better player. That's important. "He's been the most important figure in my career. He has helped me get to where I am today. "Of course you have family and friends outside of the pitch but, on the football side, he has been an important person for me." Deila had to shoot down rumours suggesting his prized forward might be tempted away by suitors from Germany and England earlier this month. But he need not worry, with Johansen insisting he is happy to stay put. "To be honest, I haven't focused on that at all," the 16-cap Norway attacker said. "There are still a lot of games to be played this season so right now I'm not thinking about that. "Right now I'm happy at Celtic. I feel like I'm becoming a better player every day. I don't see any reason why I should move." Johansen made a solid start in Glasgow last year under Lennon but the same could not be said of his compatriot Deila, who struggled to adapt to the demands of managing Celtic in the early days of his reign. Gradually, though, things improved before the Hoops surged towards what they hoped would be only their fourth ever domestic treble. But their bubble of optimism was burst on Sunday when Inverness claimed a William Hill Scottish Cup final slot with their controversial 3-2 semi-final win. With a League Cup in the bag and the Scottish Premiership title almost within grasp, though, Johansen insists there is no reason to look back on the current campaign with disappointment. "Sunday and Monday was tough," he said. "We wanted that treble so badly. "We knew we were in a good position in the league and were going well in the cup. So it was sad to let it slip. "Now we need to move on. That's the good thing about football - there are more games to be played almost every day. "But I don't think the shine has been taken off all the other things we have done this season just because we did not win the Scottish Cup. "There are five games left but after the season is finished we will be able to say it has been a good season. "We won the League Cup and hopefully we will win the league. As well as that we got through our Europa League group. "Of course, Celtic fans always expect much and as a player you want it all too. But last weekend shows how difficult it is to win all these games. "However, I still think we are getting better and better, so next year will be good."