English football is boring, says Celtic boss Ronny Deila

Celtic boss Ronny Deila has offered up a stout defence of the Scottish game by claiming its English counterpart often bores him in comparison.

The Norwegian was speaking in the wake of the announcement this week of a record £5.14billion Premier League TV rights deal.

Sky and BT Sport agreed a record deal for live rights for three seasons from 2016-19, a 70 per cent increase on the current £3billion contract, with such fantastic sums of money provoking widespread debate.

Deila, a keen student of football, has only been at the Parkhead club since taking over from Neil Lennon last summer.

Speaking at Celtic's Lennoxtown training complex ahead of the trip to St Johnstone on Saturday, where his side will look to cement their place at the top of the Scottish Premiership where they hold a three-point lead over Aberdeen, he noted the increase of money into the game south of the border.

However, the former Stromsgodset boss stated enthusiastically that he has been impressed with that he has witnessed so far in Scottish football, including the atmosphere in the Hoops' Scottish League Cup semi-final win over rivals Rangers at Hampden earlier in the month.

"Scottish football has so much enthusiasm," he said.

"I don't think too much about money. It is important for fans to understand the English clubs are getting more money and we have no chance to compete with budgets.

"But we can be better at other things that doesn't cost money like developing players and people.

"I think we should be more proud of it (the game in Scotland). The interest here is phenomenal. It is something special.

"When you go to Celtic games away, the fans are fantastic.

"I have been many times to England and I am bored compared with what's happening here in the stands sometimes.

"The game against Rangers is special. They don't have that.

"I have been at United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham and it's not near the atmosphere there was in that game."