Ronny Deila says that he feels as though he has survived a war, as he admitted to feeling “empty” over his impending departure from Celtic.

Deila is adamant that he has left solid foundations for the club to go on and win a historic ten championships in-a-row, but he has urged the Celtic supporters not to take this season’s title triumph for granted.

“Of course I’m a little bit sad,” said Deila. “You feel a little empty inside but new opportunities will arise.

“I have to appreciate the time I’ve had here and, looking back, the two years I’ve had here have been incredible. It’s been a great experience. I’ve been through the Third World War and I’m coming back, not as the same man, but as a better version of myself.

“There are a lot of positives there. The future for the club and me is bright, with a lot of opportunities. Everyone’s talking about 10, so anyone coming in knows the expectations of the club. It’s important to enjoy the road to it. Every game you win, every trophy you get, you can’t take it for granted. It should be celebrated every time. In history, it hasn’t always been that bright. It’s easy to be blasé about it all.”

The Norwegian is honest enough to acknowledge that there are things he would have done differently if he had his time at Celtic over again, but one thing he rejects is the notion that he wasn’t his own man at all times during his tenure.

If he has one piece of advice to his successor, whoever it may be, it is that they stick to their principles no matter the pressure of external forces - whether they come from the boardroom or the stands.

He said: “It is not a time to reflect over everything right now, I will do that later, but I also have a very clear mind on what I done very well and what I could have done better of course.

“But I come back to being yourself, believing what you believe in and being strong enough to do it all the way through. That’s the most important thing, because then everything is real and clear.

“It’s very important for any person, whatever they’re into or whatever they do, that they really enjoy it. Without enjoyment, you never get success, no chance.

“I don’t think I want to tell you what I wanted to do differently, but there have been a lot of good things over the last two years and things we could have done better.”

The rather sour ending to his Celtic reign, if you can class lifting a league title as such, has not deterred Deila from seeking his next assignment away from his homeland.

Wherever he ends up though, he is sure that the often suffocating pressure he felt as manager of Celtic will not follow.

“I haven’t thought so much about [the future],” he said. “Now football is worldwide, but I do want to stay out of Norway. You never know, but I’m loving being abroad and experiencing new things. I can always go back, but it’s not the moment now. I feel hungry and I feel ready for new tasks.

“There’s something about being out of your comfort zone, you hate it and love it. Sometimes you feel sorry for yourself, but at the same time you love it, that’s maybe a good thing. Whatever I do in my life I’ll probably hate it sometimes and love it sometimes.

“I think it will feel the same way, but I think I will get more freedom outside the pitch. To lose or to win is as fun or is as bad wherever you are, whether that’s a third division team or wherever.

“But it will not be the whole world standing on your shoulder afterwards. There are other big clubs of course, but very few have that intensity as there is in this club.”