BBC pundit Michael Stewart has lavished praise on Celtic defender Kristoffer Ajer for his performance at home to Hearts on Sunday, speaking on highlights programme BBC Sportscene (25/08, 21:19).
With Hatem Abd Elhamed still not recovered from injury, it fell upon Ajer to again take a spot at right-back, away from his usual centre half position.
The lack of depth there could have been a real problem for Neil Lennon, but the performances of the Norwegian international recently mean we haven’t been compromised.
Reviewing our highlights against Hearts, Stewart picked out the 21-year-old as one of our best players on the day.
Speaking on BBC Sportscene (25/08, 21:19), the former Tynecastle man said: “Powerful running, defending well, but he’s an outlet. He’s such an athlete.
“This is really important as well, he’s got a defensive instinct. He is not just a modern full-back who wants to go and attack, he’s a really good defender.
“He was a top performer on Sunday afternoon, as he was during the week as well.”
What next for Ajer?
Although his recent exploits at right-back have been stellar, it’s likely he will play his best stuff for us a centre-half. Whether that’s as a partner for Christopher Jullien or Jozo Simunovic remains to be seen.
Right now though, the prospect must be considered as our best defender. It’s no surprise he’s consistently been one of the first names on Lennon’s teamsheet since February.
There’s an argument to say we’ll lose something once he moves off the right flank, but we must give Elhamed a proper run in the position so we can see what he has to offer.
If Ajer continues on his current trajectory, he’ll either be one of our next great exports, or be a mainstay in our side for years to come.
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