CELTIC kid Liam Henderson believes that passing up the chance of an SPFL winner's medal with the Hoops this season can pave the way to a career spent plundering further silverware.

The Hoops midfielder was just one appearance shy of landing a medal with Ronny Deila’s side last season.

The decision to spend the final three months of the campaign in Norway earning first-team experience with Rosenborg meant he was overlooked when the champagne corks were popping at Celtic Park in May.

Should Rosenborg land the Norwegian title when their campaign concludes in November, Henderson would be in line for a medal as reward for his endeavours. But the greater prize is a regular place in Deila’s squad.

And Henderson is optimistic that the first-team experience he got with Norway’s premier team can be instrumental in helping him establish himself among the leading players in Celtic’s first-team squad.

It is notoriously difficult for any player to emerge from the underbelly of the club and make it into the senior team. But while getting there itself is significant given the competition for places and the pressure of playing in the first-team, staying there is an altogether tougher proposition.

There was an opportunity for the teenager to remain in Norway, but with Deila and John Collins both encouraging a return to Glasgow, he has opted to test himself in order to ascertain what improvements he has made to his game.

“I went out there, took the opportunity and learned a lot,” said Henderson.

“I’m in line for a medal if they win the league, so that’ll be good and I’ll maybe go back over for that league game.

“Their league finishes in December, so if I can get over I will.

“I missed a league medal with Celtic by one game.

“That’s the chance I took, I missed out on a medal to go out there and the manager says for the long-term it will be great and I totally agree with him as I’ve learned a lot and I’m ready to come back in.

“The long-term goal is to stay here for as long as I can, hopefully I can get in the team and keep working hard and give everything for the team. That’s all I’m looking to do.

“The manager and the coaches have been really positive with me since I’ve been back and that gives me confidence that I’ll get an opportunity.”

The growing up that Henderson had to do off the field will perhaps allow him to mature on it, but cooking and cleaning and living alone is one thing, challenging for a first-team squad place at a club where competition is fierce is quite another.

Henderson acclimatised to life in Norway quickly – social media pictures suggest he befriended some of the beautiful female locals with ease – but he is well aware that he now needs to kick on back in Glasgow.

“It was a really good three months, I learned a lot in such a short period of time that maybe I wouldn’t have back here,” he said.

“I’m back here now and enjoying being in training.

“It was a great experience, playing in a different league and in a foreign country.

“Living by myself I think I’ve grown up and matured much more than I would of back here.

“It will be good for me in the long term.”

And for the teenager who has come through the ranks at the club, being away from Celtic strengthened his desire to make the grade at the club

“It does help you grow up living by yourself, you’re having to be independent and you realise what you miss back here and the realisation of how much I want to play for Celtic and what I’ve got here with the training facilities and the players,” he explained.

“You realise when you’re away from the club how big it actually is.

“The training facilities were brand new and the coaches, the boys were all top professionals. Maybe growing up being a Scottish boy and supporting Celtic it was just a wee bit of realisation that I’m coming back and need to work even harder to try to get in the team.

“But the three months out there was a priceless experience for me.”

And Henderson has revealed that he did not get far without someone questioning him on Deila and Stefan Johansen.

The Norwegian pair still attract significant interest in their homeland and Henderson didn’t need to look far to stay tuned to what was happening back in Glasgow.

“It’s massive, after the games here in the papers in Norway there would be double page spreads on the match,” he said.

“Everybody who spoke to me always asked about the gaffer here and obviously Stefan as well and previous Norwegian players who have played.

“They were extremely interested and Celtic is a world-wide club. I was expecting that when I went over there, all the questions about the manager and Stefan.

“It was good, the people over there were lovely and the players were brand new and coaching staff I couldn’t have asked for anything better.”

Meanwhile, Henderson has welcomed new Celtic signing Nadir Ciftci to Celtic Park.

“He’ll be a good addition, he’s scored a lot of goals and if a big strong guy with a lot of skill,” he said.