THE quickest route from Scandinavia to England these days tends to involve a stopover in Glasgow. It is not a situation that particularly pleases Ronny Deila but he is too much of a pragmatist to whinge unduly about it. If talented players with a long-term ambition of operating in the Barclays Premier League are of a mind to spend time at Celtic on the way, then he is as well trying to make the most of the situation.

There is little allure attached to Scottish football these days, a nation with a one-horse race for a top division and a national team that never qualifies for major competitions. Celtic, however, remains the diamond in the dirt for Danes, Norwegians and Swedes on the move and, most importantly, often proves more of an attraction than a switch to other Scandinavian clubs like Malmo, Rosenborg, or Copenhagen. The transfers of Stefan Johansen, Mikael Lustig and now Erik Sviatchenko are all living proof of that.

Deila reels off a list of reasons why he considers Celtic to be an attractive proposition to foreigners but, high on the list, is the club’s geographical proximity to England and the riches that lie just across the border. “Erik mentioned it to me when we talked on the phone,” revealed the manager. “He said, ‘I see you had [Jason] Denayer and [Virgil] van Dijk last year and I see where they are now’. That was a positive thing for him. He sees if you come here there is the possibility to take the next step.”

It annoys the manager, however, that a club of the size of Celtic – with its fanbase, history and reputation – has become such an obvious stepping stone for players who have failed to attract English attention while operating in their own leagues. As usual, though, it boils down to money.

“I agree with those fans who get irritated at Celtic being just a stepping stone,” he said. “We are a very big club but not a rich club. There is a difference. But with the size of the club, it shouldn’t be this way. I get irritated myself when I think about it. You can just imagine what Celtic would be like if they were in the English Premier League. And then they would be in the same category as Real Madrid and Barcelona. You could move from Celtic to these clubs the way players go from Man United. Big transfers. That is the level that Celtic would be at if they were in that league. So the problem is not the size of the club but the fact that we play in the Scottish league.

“It’s fair to say that coming here is a middle step but you still learn so much. It’s a big club, there is a lot of pressure, you play in Europe, win titles. You learn how to act at a big club. It’s a very good step for many youngsters.”

Moving in Scandinavian markets, however, suits Celtic as much as it does the players they are targeting. It took only a reported £1.5 million to secure Sviatchenko, a Danish international, from Midtjylland, a fee that would have been multiplied many times over had the defender been playing in a bigger market.

“If Sviatchenko had been playing in England then we would never have got him,” admitted Deila. “We can’t get players from the Championship in England and that’s the truth. That’s when you have to look at the next stop.

“But it’s a big market in Scandinavia and a good one for us. This is not only from my time but before I came to Celtic. This market and the Balkan market are the areas where we have a chance to compete with the other clubs. It’s a market that will become more and more important for us.”

That Nordic players tend to settle quickly and do well is another bonus. “Scandinavian players have very good discipline,” said Deila. “They are extremely professional and they are used to the culture here because there are a lot of similarities between the Scottish culture and their own.

“They are good with the language too but for me, the most important thing, is that the players there are becoming more and more skilful. This is because of all the artificial, indoor halls. The players there have really developed.”