MARK WOTTE defended Ronny Deila last night and said the Celtic manager was right to insist that players eat like professional athletes.

The Scottish Football Association performance director generated similar headlines himself in 2012 when he said lifestyle factors had contributed to the decline of the Scottish game. Back then Wotte said children should not be growing up with crisps, McDonald's and Coca-Cola or drinking Buckfast tonic wine when they're 16.

Deila attracted attention last week when he defended the dietary changes he has imposed at Celtic, stressing that players had to act like 24/7 athletes or else they may as well be amateurs.

"For me it was a general statement of what is acceptable in a country," said an unperturbed Wotte. "It is only a subject when results go the wrong way. If you play very well, and win games, no-one is bothered about anything else. It's an over reaction on a statement like I did two years ago."

Wotte spoke at the Toryglen Regional Football Centre in Glasgow yesterday as he and Ryan Gauld supported the SFA's Performance School Festival. Since 2012 the SFA has been hothousing 100 of the best young players every year, giving them extra coaching via a tie-up with seven schools around the country. Wotte said the children's attitude and professionalism was encouraging because they already recognised and accepted the need to take care of themselves.

"Speaking to Darren Fletcher, who is a prime example of a role model, he does everything right," said Wotte.

"He was ill, so for him it's even more important to look after yourself. I've seen young kids with the same mindset and attitude so I don't think it's an issue in Scotland that all the players don't know how to live or feed themselves.

"The key is if you want to become a world class footballer every little bit helps. See [Cristiano] Ronaldo as an athlete - he always catches the eye because he's such an athlete but he trains a lot on his own and looks after his body very well.

"You cant be a world-class player, playing 60 games a year, if you don't look after your body. Your body is your tool. It's about the awareness. It's not about the one time a year you take something not good for you. Over a period of years you must respect your body. I travel with a lot of national youth teams and their attitude has been magnificent.

"They are putting a shift in training, never give up and eat the proper food because we give them the food. Nobody is cheating."

Wotte has invited Les Reed, the head of football development at Southampton, to give a talk in Scotland later this month after they sold three of their youth products - Luke Shaw, Adam Lallana and Calum Chambers - for a combined £68m this summer.

Meanwhile Wotte compared new Scotland recruit Stevie May to former Netherlands and Liverpool great Dirk Kuyt, describing both as late developers whose potential was difficult to gauge. "I see a little bit of similarity between Stevie and Dirk Kuyt. Dirk was 18, came from a non-league club to FC Utrecht where I was manager. He moved to Feyenoord, on to Liverpool, played a World Cup final and played a Champions League final.

"The development of Stevie May is very unpredictable. He's making steps nobody expected him to make two years ago. Nobody knows where his ceiling is. When I was working with Dirk at 19 I couldn't predict that he was going all the way. With Stevie it's just about whether he can adapt to the next level every time. That's the big question. "I wish him all the best."