Celtic’s Norse warrior Ajer is way ahead of his time
Still just 21 years of age, Ajer can see the great strides he has taken developing at Celtic and admits he has staff to thank
WHEN Kristoffer Ajer revealed that he was celebrating his 21st birthday through the week, a scurry of Celtic staff were allegedly seen demanding documents with the evidence to substantiate this wild claim.
Surely this assured, scholarly, commanding, mature and talented Norwegian came of age quite some time ago? No, Ajer’s 42 performances for the club and his senior national team this season have, indeed, been well beyond his years.
With significant change expected at the centre-half position during the close season, this can only be viewed as extremely good news for Celtic.
World Cup star Dedryck Boyata is expected to leave on a free — possibly to Hertha Berlin — Filip Benkovic returns to Leicester City and the care of Brendan Rodgers following his loan and Jack Hendry faces an uncertain future after making just one first-team appearance since October.
The pillar of experience, stability and responsibility for either Neil Lennon or a new manager settling in for the summer of transition is Ajer, who definitely did turn the tender age of 21 in midweek — ‘I went out for a meal, the missus was over, it was quiet,’ said Ajer.
Most recently alongside 24-year-old Jozo Simunovic, the Norwegian has emerged as a real favourite of the Celtic support. He’s played 16 times since the turn of the year and Celtic have conceded just four goals in those contests — one each to Valencia, Hearts (penalty), Motherwell and Rangers.
As he reflected on his milestone age, however, Ajer is classy enough to concede that he owes so much to a supreme Celtic support staff, from former boss Rodgers, his team-mates and backroom team.
‘I turned 21 and I’m extremely satisfied with the development I’ve had,’ enthused Ajer, a relatively unheralded signing from IK Start in
February 2016. ‘That’s thanks to the staff and the managers for putting their faith in me, though. And the help I’ve received after training, sitting in for analysing clips, doing so much work with John Currie in the gym.
‘Everyone here wants you to develop into the best version of yourself you can possibly be. I feel I’m on the right path developmentwise, I’m getting the help I need from the gaffer and the backroom staff as well as the players.
‘There are some fantastic centrehalves here I can learn from and I’m taking advantage of that.
‘I’ve played a lot of games for this club already and I’m enjoying every minute of it. I’ve signed a long-term deal which is great because playing at Celtic Park is a dream.
‘I’m not looking ahead of that, just enjoying what’s happening right now. I saw that this club gives opportunities to young players if you work hard every day, so I was always hopeful I could do well if I did that.’
Ajer has enjoyed a transition from Rodgers to Lennon as seamlessly as the rest of his colleagues.
Strictly speaking, he’s on his third Celtic boss because fellow countryman Ronny Deila was the man who brought him to Glasgow. However, the pair didn’t work together because Deila departed by the time Ajer finished up at Start.
‘The new gaffer has done well since he came in, he talks to everyone and he’s helped me, really put faith in me,’ said Ajer. ‘Brendan did that with me as well,
to be fair, and I’m really satisfied with the way the season has been with both managers.
‘It’s a new challenge for all the players because you don’t know what he’s going to think about you. But that’s how it is as a football player, managers come and go — as I know because I didn’t really do any work under Ronny.
‘You have to cope with stuff like that. And right now Neil Lennon has been really good for the whole squad. I have only positive things to say about him.’
Ajer was a three-week-old baby when another quietly-spoken Norwegian, Harald Brattbakk, scored against St Johnstone at Celtic Park on the final day of the season in 1998 to clinch the first title in a decade for Wim Jansen’s squad.
It’s the Brede Hangeland route, however, to becoming a star in Britain that Ajer has followed.
Hangeland was a controlling midfielder in his homeland before dropping back to centre-half and forging a successful career for Norway and with Fulham and Crystal Palace in England.
Ajer underwent the same conversion via his loan spell at Kilmarnock which helped him adjust to Scottish football and ready himself for first-team action with Celtic.
His daring defensive acts for Celtic lately have vindicated the switch several times over already.
When associating Ajer with celebration, it’s not blowing out the candles on his cake that Celtic fans think of. Rather, his reactions to goal-saving challenges have made the giant centre-half a new cult hero of the support.
He produced one of the defining moments of this season’s Old Firm battles when, at full stretch, poking the ball away from Joe Worrall as the Rangers defender threatened to score from a loose ball in the six-yard box last month.
Ajer roared approval at himself and punched the air in recognition of the significance of the intervention.
In less high-profile circumstances, he did the same when preventing Steven Boyd from equalising for Hamilton back in January in a game Celtic went on to win 3-0.
‘Yeah, I haven’t scored too many goals, so I have to celebrate the few positives I can,’ he grinned.
‘When you play games for Celtic, the manager has put faith in you, then you have to show you’re capable of doing that.
‘Now we have huge games coming up. Hibs will be really tough and then we have to take the rest as they come and have the (Scottish) Cup final to look forward to.
‘We want to win as many games as we can and I feel fresh and sharp and just want to keep playing.’
Ajer’s friend Ryan Christie will unfortunately miss all that action after suffering multiple facial fractures as a result of Dom Ball’s
I’ve played a lot of games already and I’m enjoying every minute of it
challenge in last Sunday’s semi-final victory over Aberdeen.
The incident and his visit to hospital to check on Christie reminded the centre-half of his own surgery on a broken eye socket following a clash with Livingston defender Craig Halkett, forcing him to be absent for a month late last year.
‘Ryan has had the surgery and, from what I can gather, it’s been successful , which is fantastic news,’ reported Ajer.
‘Obviously it reminded me of what happened to me at Livingston, but I watched the impact and it was a lot worse to watch.
‘I know how painful an injury it is but hopefully he’ll be back as soon as possible. The big difference with his and mine was I just fractured a few bones.
‘But you saw the way he landed and hit his head, you just worrying about concussions and stuff as well. I think the fractures were bad but everything seems to be clear now.’