Celtic boss Ronny Deila admits that John Guidetti might have let the early-season praise get to his head.
Celtic boss Ronny Deila has told the Daily Mail that he is on a mission to get John Guidetti refocused amid the misfiring striker’s barren run in front of goal.
Guidetti, 22, arrived on a season-long loan from Manchester City in September, before going on to net 11 times in his first 12 appearances for the Scottish champions.
The Swedish front man earned his first international cap since 2012 against France in November as a result of his impressive performances, but has since seen his form completely desert him.
His last strike coming against Hearts on November 30, the City loanee has started just one of the past five outings amid ongoing fitness struggles, and has now seen Leigh Griffiths replace him as Deila’s preferred option up top.
It’s been a dramatic comedown since earning widespread praise for his hat-trick when Celtic thumped Partick Thistle in late-October, and his boss admits that the adulation might have gone to his head.
“It’s a tough thing for young players to get all that focus,” said Deila. “When you score so many goals, he is a big star and it is so easy to lose focus on the important things.
“The worst thing in life is to have things going well – because it is so easy to use energy on other things and you’re not aware of why you are good.
“That’s what young players have to learn. It’s my task to tell them this, but they have to experience it themselves.
“In the last three weeks, John has been working really hard in training and I know he will come again,” he continued.
“Before that, the intensity wasn’t where I wanted it. But I think he now understands what it is all about. He will progress and come back at the level he was.”
A free agent in the summer, Deila revealed last month that Guidetti had put off talks over a permanent move to Celtic Park until “March or April” in order to better assess his options, with both Marseille and Southampton reported to be circling.
The youngster’s recent struggles have likely cooled some of the interest around Europe, but Deila remains more than keen to keep him with the Bhoys for the long-term.
“We work on that all the time,” he added. “But we don’t want a player who doesn’t want to be here, that’s for sure. But if he wants and will come back, then we will start talking again.
“But again, it is good for him that we don’t talk about it just now. He doesn’t want to talk about it and we don’t want to talk about it. We just go on and try to make each other happy.”
With the club set to take on Inter Milan in the Europa League’s last-32, while remaining on course for a domestic treble, the coming weeks will prove a big test of Guidetti’s mental resolve as he bids to get back to his early-season form.
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