Kristoffer Ajer opens up on his enjoyment at Celtic

Add as preferred source on Google

Kristoffer Ajer’s enjoyment in playing for Celtic has been expressed by the centre-back himself.

Ajer has grown from fringe player to key star over the last 18 months alone. A loan spell at Kilmarnock helped him transform into a defender, and since then, he’s taken Celtic by storm with incredible consistency levels on the pitch.

Just as impressive, however, is his attitude off the park too. He’s never been one to cause managers any trouble, and always gives his all for the cause. Ajer is one of the great moaners on the park too. He’s always in referees faces and putting Celtic’s case forward. There aren’t many bigger fighters of the club than the Norwegian.

And speaking in the Scottish Sun, he expressed how much he’s loving life in Glasgow after signing all the way back in 2016.

“There is always pressure”

“It’s normal when you are a young player and haven’t proved you can play that there will be doubts. You have to play games to show you are good enough but I feel I have now taken steps. The more games I play, the more I learn the role. So I feel much better than I did 12 months ago.

“Do I feel the fans trust me now? Yes, but there is always the expectation to go and perform every single week. That’s one of the best things about playing for Celtic — there is always pressure.

“You can never be complacent and I really enjoy that. It’s a really healthy mindset to not think you are better than the last game you played. There are a lot of top quality centre-halves ready to take your place if you don’t perform. I know that every single time I go on the pitch I need to perform and that’s what will keep driving me on to become better.”

Ajer’s enjoyment doesn’t hint at a move away

Ajer was encouraged at the start of June by Norway manager Lars Lagerback to leave Parkhead to become a better defender. His national team boss stated that being in a better league would “speed up” his development (Scottish Sun).

But playing in the Champions League would do just that for him too. At Parkhead, he’s playing in a team that has to win every week. The pressure is monumental, and that can’t be experienced at too many other places.

Ajer is fulfilling his potential at Celtic, and he clearly doesn’t sound like he plans on leaving anytime soon. Given the market value for players nowadays, he would demand some price too.

Moving forward, it will be interesting to see how Ajer develops alongside Christopher Jullien this season. That looks like a partnership made in heaven, and the sooner the two are thrown together on the pitch, the better.

Ajer’s development at centre-back has been incredible, and he’s one of the most unique defenders we’ve had in a long time. He has the attributes of both a colossal defender as well as an attacking midfielder. His strides from the back are crucial for Celtic in breaking down packed defences. His value stretches a lot further than just keeping the ball away from his own goal.

Hopefully, this season, he comes on even further under the stewardship of Neil Lennon. It’s clear that he’s certainly enjoying life enough in Glasgow to do just that.