Celtic’s Stefan Johansen doesn’t mind doing double the work

Stefan Johansen is quite happy to play the numbers game at Celtic.

The Norwegian midfielder, like everyone at the club, is disappointed they can now only win two domestic trophies this season.

The defeat by Inverness Caley Thistle in last Sunday’s Scottish Cup semi-final ended the dream of securing a Treble.

Johansen, however, is content with the way things are developing in his own career, and takes satisfaction from knowing he has been considered as one of the top performers in the country.

His nomination for the SPFA Player of the Year award is quite an achievement, considering that he will have played almost twice the number of games he normally takes part in over a season.

Johansen said: “It’s my first season playing this many games and a new experience for me. But I think I’ve handled it well.

“With all the national team games added on, I will probably have played nearly 70 times after Norway have faced Azerbaijan on June 12. In Norway, you play 30 games, maybe four or five in Cups and some with the national team.

“Since arriving in Scotland, my focus has been preparing for games and working when I can work. If you play Sunday and then Wednesday, you can’t go out and run for 60 minutes on Monday.

“You need to be focused on being the athlete you need to be, even at home. You have to be eating the right things and sleeping at the right time. That’s what I’ve been focusing on.”

Johansen still has two years remaining on his Celtic contract, so it’s no real surprise that he would welcome talks to extend his deal on more lucrative terms.

The 24-year-old monitors his own progress in a scientific way. Most players know instinctively when they’re in good form, but Johansen takes reassurance from looking at the match data.

Parkhead boss Ronny Deila has converted him from a holding midfielder into a superb attacking player.

He went on: “The manager is always looking for tempo in the game, the one and two-touch play.

“That’s one thing I’ve been working on and my stats show I’ve been getting better.

“It’s about deciding when are you going to use one or two touches, and when are you going to drive with the ball.”