SOARING DEMAND
AC Milan, Dortmund and Leicester are all known admirers of Ajer but the Norwegian defender declares he is perfectly happy with Celtic
KRISTOFFER AJER insists he hasn’t given a moment’s thought to the notion of leaving Celtic.
The Norwegian international has attracted covetous glances from England and Europe after cementing his place at the heart of the Parkhead defence.
AC Milan, Borussia Dortmund and Leicester City have all been linked with moves for the 21-year-old.
Tied to a long-term contract, however, Ajer insists he is engrossed in life at Celtic and pays no heed to speculation over his future.
‘I’m really happy now,’ he says. ‘I’ve got two-and-a-half years at Celtic and I’m happy with it.
‘I love playing for Celtic. All talks of contracts is between my agent and the club and I’m just concentrated on day-to-day work and trying to be the best footballer I can.
‘I’m not fussed about speculation. I’m happy here and want me and the club to have a fantastic next six months.
‘This is a great place to be. I really wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.’
At 6ft 6ins, the midfielder-turned-central defender is becoming a big player for Celtic in every sense. And the bigger he becomes, the bigger the target he creates.
Criticism followed his role in Aberdeen striker Sam Cosgrove’s contested red card at Parkhead, while former Rangers striker Kris Boyd used a newspaper column to accuse him of ‘acting the hard man’. There was further criticism when Rangers rival Niko Katic jumped higher for the winning goal in the recent Old Firm defeat.
For his part, Ajer makes no claim to be the finished article. Neither, he insists, does he concern himself with winning popularity contests.
Claiming he has no idea what people outside the club are saying, he adds: ‘I stay disconnected from what is said outside of the park and don’t really want to comment on anything else. Our job is to play football and try to win games.
‘There will always be a strong togetherness in the dressing room and I think that is what makes us strong.
‘I try as much as I can to disconnect from everything except the football. That’s one of the main things for all of the players and why we have been so successful in recent years. We keep the noise outside away and just try to focus on the football.
‘It’s the same for every big club. It’s important to just stay and develop your side of the game and think about what you can do better.’
Currently in the market for a central defender, Celtic’s interest in Brazilian Fabricio Bruno has cooled. A move for Paris Saint-Germain’s Moussa Sissoko remains a possibility but Ajer is under no illusions that his place alongside Christopher Jullien in central defence is completely secure.
‘There are so many experienced players here who have achieved way more than me, so I know my place in the team,’ he continues.
‘I wouldn’t band myself as that (big
player in the team). That would be for others (to say). There are so many great characters and players with tons of experience.
‘I wouldn’t compare myself to, say, Broony (captain Scott Brown). He’s a legend and I’m just a 21-year-old coming from Norway. There’s no comparison.
‘I know what the experienced players want from the young players and we are just trying to do the best we can.’
When the doubts or the criticism come, he leans on a strong support network. Having arrived in Glasgow as a teenager, he feels comfortable and secure in his adopted homeland.
‘I’ve got a great family, friends and girlfriend. She doesn’t know much about football, so it’s nice to go home and not talk about tactics or the physical part of the game.
‘It’s important to be focused as a footballer when you train and play, but also to be able not to think about football sometimes. It’s a nice balance to have.
‘The people in Glasgow are really kind and open-hearted. My neighbours are fantastic and everyone takes care of you. Scottish people are, without a doubt, among the kindest I have met.’
A week of warm-weather winter training in Dubai was disrupted latterly by unusually heavy rain and a lack of drainage.
Insisting Celtic will still derive a benefit from the change of scene and the chance to work hard on the training ground,
Ajer believes the sour taste left by the defeat to
Rangers has been cleansed.
‘I think it’s been a really exciting start — the way we have won so many games, have won the
Betfred Cup and are in a great position to do even better in the next six months,’ he says.
‘We’ve trained well in
Dubai and everyone has been improving their fitness. The way we trained has been fantastic.
‘I’m learning every single day from the rest of the players and the backroom staff, so it’s just picking things up from the gaffer and Kendo (John Kennedy).
‘Of course, the gaffer is the main man, but it’s great also having help from Kendo and Duffer (Damien Duff). ‘When you play for Celtic, you are used to playing many games and you know that you have to perform in each one. It’s about maintaining fitness and doing your best.
‘Dubai has been beneficial for the squad in previous years.’