Ajer has been piling on the weight to play his part
Kristoffer Ajer won’t be using either his age or lack of experience as an excuse for his part in the defensive blunders which are sabotaging Celtic’s season. Heading into September, the Hoops are already out of the Champions League, having been deservedly beaten by AEK Athens of Greece. And while they can still make the Europa League group stages, they will have to survive a tricky play-off return against Suduva at Celtic Park on Thursday night to do so after the first leg in Lithuania ended all square at 1-1. Domestically, too, all has not gone as planned. Hearts handed them a shock defeat in only the second Premiership fixture of the campaign just as the furore over Dedryck Boyata was coming to the boil. It has not been hard to see where the problem lies, with boss Brendan Rodgers blunt in his criticism of a back four which has been conceding simple goals. At 20 years old, with less than 30 first-team appearances for Celtic and only two years in his current position, Ajer would normally be too inexperienced to be a primary target for the message that an instant improvement is needed – or else. Yet with injuries to Jack Hendry, Jozo Simunovic and Marvin Compper – and Boyata still at odds with the club following their rejection of a £9m bid from Fulham for his services, the Norwegian internationalist will go into today’s match against Hamilton Accies as the only fit, recognised centre-half. “When you’re playing you have a shared responsibility,” said Ajer. “That especially applies here at Celtic, where there is huge pressure in every single games. “Here you always have to perform and you always have to express yourself. “That is a natural part of playing for this football club. “I’ve played almost all the games this season, and been part of conceding goals. “It doesn’t matter what age you are. You’re in with the rest of the team, and you have to take the blame, too. “And it is true, we have conceded some goals that should have been prevented. “It’s something we need to look at and work on. We are working on that every day in training, and we want to better that in the next games. “We have just not been good enough at the decisive moments in our box. “There can be periods where you concede goals that you would not normally want to concede. “We need to defend better. There are lots of games and we get tired, but you have to be ready for them.” The situation is even more testing in Ajer’s case because he is, he feels, still completing his transition from midfielder to defender. “I have had two really good years developing into a centre-half,” he said. “I feel I am taking steps every day, learning under the gaffer and the rest of the centre-halves, too. “I just find it a fantastic place to be and to learn every single day. “There are many tough games, but that is what develops you as a player. “I have always been a physical player but I have added a lot of weight too. “That was needed to play at centre-half. I was 83kg when I came and now I am 93.5kg. So I’ve put on 10 kilos (1st 8lb). “I found out really quick I needed that when I got moved to centre-half. “I have been working with John Currie, our physical guy. “He has been pushing me really hard after training in the gym. “The club has put me on a really good programme, and it was also good to go out to Kilmarnock and get that physical development. “That was really important. “You need to get used to strikers going up against you. “There’s a fantastic physical side to the game in Scotland and that’s something young players need to learn about. “I had to develop that but I feel I’m getting better at it.”