Kristoffer Ajer

Kris Ajer has revealed that one-to-one bonding sessions with boss Neil Lennon have charged Celtic for the run-in.

The Norwegian international and his team-mates are having their first full week of work under the new gaffer after his shock return nine days ago.

With games against Hearts and Hibs coming instantly after Lennon’s appointment, the beginning of this week and a rare blank midweek card has offered a proper opportunity for the interim-manager to spend quality time his new group.

Ajer has been amongst a raft of players who have sat down individually with the Northern Irishman to talk through tactics and personality.

Celtic star Kris Ajer slams thug fans 'A line has been crossed'

The Celtic centre-back has taken great reassurance from the discussions and said: “The gaffer has been fantastic with the whole squad here.

“It was a difficult situation where the other manager suddenly changed job, but I think he’s been fantastic in terms of taking care of everyone, really showing that everyone will get an opportunity here at the club and the way he’s been talking with me.

“I had a really nice chat with him earlier this week when he told me what he was thinking and what his plans were, so it’s been a really good week.

“He did that with a few of the boys. He’s talked with a few of the players to get and understanding of them and learn more from them and for us to learn more from him.

“In any club when there’s a change of manager, there’s always a bit of excitement in terms of who is going to play and who gets a chance.

“But the manager has been fantastic for the whole squad. He’ll give everyone an opportunity and now we have to perform in training and matches.”

Ajer may not have worked under Lennon before, but he’s hardly a stranger.

Having watched the manager play and boss Celtic while watching old matches on DVD and faced his Hibs sides, the Scandinavian had a fair idea what to expect and he has not been left disappointed.

The players have also risen to the challenge and Ajer said: “Obviously, a lot of stuff has happened, but the group has coped with that and the gaffer has come in and really helped us in terms of looking forward.

“The two wins we’ve had have shown the importance of that. John Kennedy has been here through everything we’ve done and he’s seen it all.

“He helped the previous manager bring young players in and he did a fantastic job with that, but it was really important for him to explain to us after the manager left that we, the players, were the ones who had won those trophies and that we had to show that in those games in Edinburgh that week.

“Of course, I’d watched a lot of Celtic clips before I came here and I saw how he [Lennon] played and what he was like as a manager. I’m really looking forward to working with him and learning from him.”

Ajer accepts he could face extra responsibility under Lennon and he relishes that prospect.

With Dedryck Boyata out of contract in the summer and set to leave and Filip Benkovic due to be reunited with Rodgers when he returns to Leicester after his loan spell, the 20-year-old could be a cornerstone for the backline going forward.

However, Ajer is ready and said: “I’ve played a lot of games here now and it’s such a massive club.

“I feel like I’m really developing in every single game. I feel I’ve grown a lot, not only ability wise but in terms of leadership and taking a role there.

‘I also have so many players to thank. We have a captain here [Scott Brown]

who is unbelievable and has been fantastic throughout this change. There are leaders throughout this dressing room. It’s all part of a strong collective.”

That strong collective are keen to get going through the final two months of the term having had their breather.

Celtic have managed to rack up 11 straight domestic wins since the mid-winter break without a midweek off and, with the schedule now set to ease, Ajer says there’s more to come.

However, there is no talk of Trebles, just the next games. He explained:

“There are big games coming up throughout the season, but we know Aberdeen is a really strong team and will make it difficult.

“It was really important to recharge the batteries. It’s been a long time since we last had a free midweek so it was good to have a few days off and we’ll be refreshed by the time we play Aberdeen.

“The gaffer has kept things quite similar to what we’ve been used to. A few changes have been made but nothing drastic, just things like how he wants us to build up.

“We just have to keep the form going and put in a strong performance.

“I have to be honest about the whole atmosphere in the dressing room in that we have been through this so many times and have so many leaders who know that if you get too carried away and start thinking too far ahead, you start losing games.

“We need to think about Aberdeen, then Dundee. The next two games before the international break and, hopefully, get two strong results.

“Then you have to sum things up after the season ends. It’s way too early to think if and what can happen.”

 

Wonderful and mature interview from the kid.

Very telling also. Never uses the snakes name and only refers to him as "the previous" manager. Lennon is "gaffer" and JK's comments to the squad about how they the players won those trophies not the snake all indicate an undercurrent of resentment toward "the previous manager".

It looks like theyre using the situation to kick on and prove a point.

Loved his attitude also. Seems to be constantly thinking about his development. Easy to forget thst hes still a child and could be out getting liquored and waving his chap and burds in nightclubs but this get definately has his nut screwed. Gonna be a big player in a few years.

 

Good alot of time for Ajer. Think he is a top player currently never mind his potential. I am more than happy with him being one of our first choice centre halfs next season. He also will be Norway captain one day.

I think people over look the fact he is only 20 years old as well.

 

The "previous manager" lol lol lol ........

 

Kid doesn't need to though...

 

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAS * IS GROWING FACIAL HAIR, * YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAS YA BIG SEXY VIKING.

 

You know I think you make a very good point there the way Ajer refers to the "previous manager". The kind of spirit the team showed last week too indicated the squad are determined to prove a point over this last period of the season.

 

Was good to see him cracking a shot off when bursting forward first half..

A few lapses in concentration second half though.

 

He was good today, some excellent tackles.

 

Thought he was our best player today.

 

Big fan, the guys got the potential to have it all. One major plus is his heart, he puts a lot of emotion in to games and really takes exception to wrong doings. It has seen him lose the rag a few times but in time he’ll use that and channel it in the right way. - I don’t see stupid ref decisions going away any time soon

 

I'd try him. In midfield with our current predicament. Sling Jozo or Lustig. In at CB.

 

HE needs to remember to defend first and foremost, quality player and loves a slide tackle but he over complicates at times, which you can let him away with to an extent because his natural inclination is to go forward but he needs to pick the right times.

We're generally always up against a bus so when a CB does break forward it causes panic in the opposition because all the defensive shape and systems they've worked on to nullify us goes to pot. Modern day players are coached to within an inch of their lives and tend to be very robotic so the run from deep can be deadly, just not all the time, or when you have a rapid striker at your heels.

 

He's a very young player and he'll make bad decisions from time to time. As long as he's learning from his mistakes, we don't really want him to curtail his natural game. Remember he's our player and we will reap the benefits down the line.

 

He was brilliant yesterday again, nearly scored and an offside goal, had Cosgrove in his pocket all game. Really maturing into a top centre back and has learned from his mistakes. Ashame he was pretty much the only one to turn up yesterday.

 

IT is sometimes easy to forget just how young Kristoffer Ajer is. The Celtic defender is just 20 years old, yet regularly displays a maturity that makes a mockery of his age. It’s always been this way for the Norwegian, who made his professional debut in his homeland for Start at the age of 15 and became the youngest-ever captain in the history of the Norwegian top flight less than a year later.

After racking up 54 appearances for Start at just 17 years old, Celtic brought Ajer to Scotland and the defender has developed into one of the finest young centre backs in the country. The Norwegian’s form was recognised by his national team last March, and Ajer has gone on to make six appearances for the senior Norway side since


As Ajer continues to go from strength to strength at Celtic Park, the towering centre half’s influence is growing in the heart of the Celtic defence. This is in part down to the somewhat unique skill-set Ajer possesses; dominant in the air with an eye for a pass and comfortable with the ball at his feet, there isn’t really another defender in Scotland quite like the Norwegian at present.

There used to be another player who turned out for Celtic who had a similar style of play, though. Virgil Van Dijk is now widely accepted to be one of the best defenders in world football, and there are certainly shades of the Dutch international in Ajer’s style of play.


Van Dijk has made a name for himself as one of the great headers of the ball in European football and this is a trait that is apparent in Ajer too, albeit to not quite the same standard. The sheer size of the Norwegian certainly helps here - Ajer measures in at about 6 foot 5 - but the Celtic defender is second to none when it comes to aerial prowess in Scotland.

Ajer wins 75% of his headers for Celtic, the highest success rate of any Premiership player. This ability to calmly deal with lobbed balls forward brings a sense of calm to the Celtic backline; an invaluable asset at any level of the game.


Ajer’s eye for a pass is another of the young defender’s traits that make comparisons with Van Dijk almost inevitable. The 20-year-old has the sixth-highest passing rate of any Premiership player, and the fifth-highest passing accuracy with a mightily impressive 93.56% of his passes finding their intended target.

Critics will be quick to point out that Ajer benefits from playing for a Celtic team that dominate possession in virtually every domestic game they contest, and that Ajer is playing simple passes that are difficult to get wrong. There is some truth to this: when the Norwegian spent a season on loan at Rugby Park, for instance, his passing accuracy fell to a not-so-impressive 78.1%.


But the second point - that Ajer is playing easy passes - simply isn’t true. Ajer has the second-highest accuracy rate in terms of passes into the final third of any Premiership player. Only his team-mate Filip Benkovic - who is valued in the tens of millions - is more accurate, and even then the difference is a marginal 0.5%.

This composure on the ball is certainly reminiscent of Van Dijk. One of the Netherlands internationalist’s greatest strengths is his ability to distribute the ball from the back, and start attacks from deep. Now, Ajer isn’t quite at that level yet but the Norwegian is showing that he is capable of playing in such a manner.



One of the traits that makes Van Dijk truly stand out on the pitch is the centre back’s ability to carry the ball and break forward into midfield, and this is an ability that Ajer shares. Progressive runs are dribbles completed by a player where they carry the ball at least ten yards up the pitch and again, Ajer is one of the Premiership’s best players in this regard.

The Norwegian averages 3.9 progressive runs per 90 minutes; only Kilmarnock’s Jordan Jones has a higher rate of these kinds if dribbles. This ability to break out of defence isn’t exactly a necessary requirement of a modern central defender, but it is certainly another string to Ajer’s bow that makes him a more dangerous opponent than a traditional centre back.

It will be very interesting to see how Ajer is deployed under Neil Lennon going forward. After all, Lennon is one of the coaches who helped develop Van Dijk into the player he is today, but the Northern Irishman is seemingly reluctant to set up his team to play out from the back. Ajer's development could hinge on this; if he is asked to play a simpler role in the Celtic backline, then the rare assets that he possesses as a defender could be damaged.

All in all, it appears as though Ajer is on the right track to becoming an excellent defender and his career is certainly one worth watching closely. No-one is saying that he will hit the heights that Van Dijk has, but the similarities between the two players' style of play are startling. Clearly, it is unlikely that Ajer will be able to match the Liverpool defender’s career, but there are plenty of indicators to suggest that the Norwegian is a player in a similar mould to the Dutchman. If Ajer continues to develop as he has done so far at Celtic Park, there is every likelihood that he could be the latest Celtic player to move on to bigger and better things in the future.

 

Norway boss Lars Lagerback has told Kristoffer Ajer he will have a key role in the showdown with Spain.

The Celtic defender suffered an injury scare during the dramatic late win over Dundee on Sunday.


Ajer had to be substituted by Neil Lennon after receiving a head knock but he has been given the all-clear to play in Norway’s opening Euro 2020 qualifier in Valencia at the Mestalla.

And Lagerback insists the centre-back will play a vital role in the clash.

He said: "Kristoffer is doing well. I have met him today and there are no problems.

"He got a knock during the game, but it wasn't dangerous and he will be an important player for us in Spain.

That's why experienced players like Kristoffer will play a big part for us. We are going to try to get something from Valencia.

"Ultimately, for me if we return to Norway with no points then I consider us to have made a poor start to the campaign.

 

Good to know nothing too serious in that head knock. Just make it back to Lennoxtown equally ready to play, for the run-in to the season's end.

 

THE Scottish Premiership will pause this week for the international break, and Kristoffer Ajer is one of many Celts away on international duty.

The break will give some players returning from injury, such as Callum McGregor, some much needed game-time while others, such as Ryan Christie, can make the final preparations for their return without missing any more games.

“We’ve had some injuries in the team and this is something all teams have to contend with,” Ajer told this week’s Celtic View. “The team has coped well throughout that time and we’ve continued to get results.

"One of our biggest strengths is the quality of our squad. We have a good-sized squad with players training every day at a high level.

“Whenever anyone gets the chance they’re always ready and that makes a real difference in helping to maintain the current form in the team. All of the players in the squad have shown that they’re good enough at this level when they come into the team.

“We have some important players coming back now which is important as we come into the final stretch of the season.”

Ajer has joined up with the Norway squad and is hoping to add to his six caps in the next two international fixtures, including one when he’ll come up against a familiar face.

“Norway have two European Championship qualifiers this week,” said Ajer. “The first is Spain away and then we face Sweden at home. They are two really tough games but they are very exciting to be a part of.

“Spain away will always be a very difficult game. They are one of the best teams in the world so we’ll need to be very organised and disciplined to take something from the game.

“Sweden did excellent in the last big tournament. They are a strong side and will be wanting to win themselves. To play these two teams is a fantastic achievement for me and I’m really proud to be involved.

“Spain have exceptional players all over the pitch. We aren’t concentrating on them though; we just think about ourselves. We’ll be playing them at the Mestalla so I’ll be back in familiar surroundings. It’s a fantastic stadium and a beautiful pitch to play on.

“Three days later is the big rivalry up north in Scandinavia. To play Sweden at home is a special game for the whole country. Hopefully I can beat the Swedish guy in the Celtic squad!

“It’s a rivalry between not just myself and Mikael but the two countries. I’m really looking forward to that one. My whole family are coming so it’s a big occasion for everyone. I haven’t been saying too much to Mikael before this. They probably look at themselves as favourites but that suits us perfect.”