RONNY Deila last night stressed he remains firmly focused on winning a Premiership and Scottish Cup double with Celtic this season despite mounting speculation over who will replace him if he is sacked as manager.

Several high-profile candidates have been linked with his position this week including his predecessor Neil Lennon, who has parted company with Bolton, and former players Davie Moyes and Malky Mackay.

Moyes, the ex-Everton, Manchester United and Real Sociedad manager, this week refused to rule out taking over in future, while Mackay, who has been out of work since leaving Wigan last year, spoke of his love for the Parkhead club.

However, Deila, whose side is currently just one point ahead of Aberdeen, who have played one game more, in the top flight table, insisted he had no problems with others being linked with his position.

“I have other things to focus on,” he said. “Getting two more trophies into Celtic is what all my focus is on.

“There are newspapers who have to fill pages and talk with different people. That’s what football should be. It can’t always be everyone saying the same things all the time. There has to be a little bit of a circus, it’s okay.

“What can I say? That it is not an attractive job. Of course it is an attractive job. That’s fine for me. I know that and it’s why I am happy to be here. You learn from experience, that’s for sure. But I have always had a belief in myself.

‘It’s about being in balance as a person. It’s about one thing. If I crack about something it is because something else is wrong in my life. I have other things to worry about than these things.”

When other managers publicly touting themselves for the job he was currently doing was compared to a rival suitor trying to steal his girlfriend off his arm, Deila quipped: “They want to take my job and my lady?

“The only thing you can do is make that lady happy so she wants to stay. You can’t do anything about others wanting her or the club. It’s about doing your job, getting results, getting the best out of your players and carrying on winning the league and hopefully the cup.”

Deila, whose side take on Kilmarnock in a league game at Rugby Park tomorrow, confirmed he was putting plans in place for this summer and admitted he may go and watch signing targets in action at Euro 2016.

“We are talking about pre-season all the time,” he said. “It has to be right. We are going to do a lot of the same things as last summer, but try to do it even better. I think we are going to try and get a trip, while also trying to be in Scotland as well. I think it’s going to be a little bit different but I think it will be better.

“If there is a player we have been scouting and I want to take a look at then of course I will go (to Euro 2016). But I want to also try and get some vacation. That is the only time of the year when you can really sit down, reflect and get your energy back.

“I was tired at the end of last season - I had been going for 18 months because I came straight here into the job without vacation and it’s a lot to put yourself into.

"You have to manage a totally new job and I’m more experienced now so I feel more up for it now than I did at the end of last season, but that’s about managing the job and learning from it.

"It never stops up here. You have to get your head out of Lennoxtown sometimes as well and do other things. You have to put all the other things you want in life on hold because everything is about Celtic and the results.”

Deila is satisfied that Celtic have recovered from the dip in form which saw them drop points against Hamilton away and an understrength Dundee side at home after successive wins against Morton and Partick Thistle.

“I think we have been good in terms of bouncing back from disappointments in the whole time I have been here,” he said. “We have done that again with two good victories.

“But now we need to carry on with momentum and keeping winning games. That’s the most important thing. We also want to keep developing our style even better than we have done lately. I see progress and hopefully we will see even more on Saturday.

“Everything is about results. If you win, fantastic. If you lose, not so much. It’s about doing your job.”