THE decorations and trinkets collected throughout a career as a player and as a coach in Norway are never far away for Ronny Deila.

As the Celtic manager sits in his Glasgow home there is a neglected shelf just feet away littered with medals and memories of good times gone - a collection of tangible reminders of his achievements.

One of those medals is from his time as a player when, as a defender for Odd Grenland, he was part of the side that won the Norwegian Cup in 2000 by defeating Viking 2-1 in the final. It was their first trophy for 70 years and the small club has not won anything since.

As a manager, Deila guided Stromsgodset last season to only their second league title in their 107-year existence and their first since 1970.

However, these are just two items in a haul of mementos that are as important to the make-up of the 38-year-old coach as vocal talent is to an X Factor contestant.

Of course, Deila is proud of his achievements. After all, they have helped him get to where he is today.

Most notably, his Norwegian League winner's gong brought him to the attention of Celtic's board this summer following Neil Lennon's departure.

But it's the manner in which he gained his glittering prizes which is the most precious thing to the Hoops manager.

Already his Celtic players have had their diet looked at, their training methods revised and their entire approach to playing football overhauled.

His focus on performance and fitness, rather than simply winning football matches, sets the young and ambitious coach apart from many of his old-school counterparts.

However, it's a philosophy which will be tested to the max at Parkhead, where nothing but trophy triumphs will be good enough if he is to achieve what he wants to in Scotland.

With a real opportunity to add substantially more medals to his collection, Deila is aware that a balance must be struck.

He explained: "I won everything in Norwegian football as a coach and I won the cup with a small club as a player.

"But I don't think back so much on those things. I never look at the medals I have.

"I would rather think about what I created with others. That is what drives me - to create and to have moments and experiences together.

"When you do that well, you get trophies.

"It's the same here, we need to create something good. If we do that, over time we will also win trophies. We really want it, and I really want it."

Deila is a man whose eyes are always firmly focused on the future, and it is an attitude that will serve him well as he works his way through his list of objectives this season.

If the Norwegian did not realise beforehand, he will now know only too well you're only as good as your last result.

It is a philosophy which is relevant to him now more than ever as Celtic near the crunch time of their bids for success in the Premiership, League Cup and Europa League.

DEILA revealed: "I have my medals in my living room but I never look at them. If you think of what you have achieved and you are satisfied with that, great. But you always have to move forward.

"In football, if you lose the next game, you are back in trouble, back in a bad rhythm. So I like to learn from good and bad experiences then move on.

"My first professional medal came as a player when I won the Norwegian Cup with Odd Grenland 14 years ago.

"We only have the one cup in Norway, so it's like winning the FA Cup in England.

"It was the first trophy the club had won in 70 years. The city went crazy.

"As a coach at Stromsgodset we won the cup in 2010 then last year we won the league for the first time in 43 years, so it was special.

"When you win something with a big club, they are used to it. You win the league and the next day they want more.

"With a smaller club, it is fantastic. But at Celtic there is expectation to win trophies.

"That is different but still it is fantastic fun to do it - that's why I'm here."

Tomorrow night Deila can edge that bit closer to his goal of achieving success at Celtic when Partick Thistle make the trip from Glasgow's West End to the East End for the League Cup quarter-final.

THE competition represents his first opportunity to bring silverware to Parkhead this season, with the final scheduled for Sunday, March 15.

Even though his team are also competing in three other competitions - including a chance to reach the knockout stages of the Europa League - Deila has stressed to his players how vital it is that they progress across the board.

"We want to win everything we are competing in and the League Cup is the first trophy available," he explained.

"It's very important, not just for me but for everybody at this football club. So we need to be ready for the challenge we face against Partick Thistle.

"The players were given a day off after the Kilmarnock game on Sunday to be at home and recover by themselves.

"There is a good atmosphere in the squad now but sometimes it's good to have a day off and see other people, not just staff and team-mates all the time."