Ajer, Kristoffer – The Celtic Wiki

Personal

Full Name	Kristoffer Vassbakk Ajer
Known as	Kristoffer Ajer, Kris Ajer
Date of Birth	17th April 1998
Birthplace	Rælingen, Norway
Height	1.96m (6ft 5in)
Position	Midfielder (CM)
Signed	17 Feb 2016 (IK Start £650,000)
Left	21 Jul 2021 (left to Brentford for £13.5m (plus potential £4-5m addons, plus 10% sell-on fee)
Debut:	Celtic 3-0 Lincoln Red Imps, European Cup, 20 Jul 2016
Squad No.	35
International	Norway
Caps	TBC at end of career
Goals	TBC at end of career

Biog

“He has everything a top defender should have.”
Celtic goalkeeper Craig Gordon (Dec 2017) Ajer, Kristoffer - The Celtic Wiki

When the young Norwegian Kristoffer Ajer arrived at Celtic, he was already highly rated as a precocious talent with a big future ahead of him.

Incredibly, he had already captained his previous side (IK Start) at 16. The Scottish League had been a great home for Scandinavian players so it was a natural step to come to Celtic to build on what he had already achieved.

At Celtic, his first change was a move to defence away from the midfield. A bright move at the time (and in retrospect) as the midfield became saturated with a glut of players many of whom were older & more established, whilst the defence had a greater deficit of players.

However, soon enough as Ajer arrived, he was soon enough shipped out on loan, this time to Kilmarnock. Surprising for some and sadly it meant he was to miss out on the InVIncibles treble willing season under Brendan Rodgers. Regardless, his form was not left unnoticed with reports back reflecting on his burgeoning form and hopes for the future.

On his return to Celtic for season 2017-18, there was already talk of a further loan out, but thankfully that was ignored, and once injuries to Simunovic occurred again, Ajer stepped into the gap and took the chance he needed. Still young he played maturer to his age, and put in steady and praiseworthy performances. Admittedly, the defence was an area for concern, but you could see his potential. Must note that he had competition: Simunovic, Boyata, Compper, Sviatchenko (on loan), Hendry and Lustig (relocated if need be), but Ajer was proving himself and skipped to the front of the queue.

He was an athletic, tall and strong player, and was developing over time. Good in the tackle and fair in the air, he was a hard worker with a good attitude. He was also a very vocal, intelligent and determined young man. A quality player he would only get better, but needed to work on his physical presence as possibly due to youth, he could allow smaller players to bully him.

Finally came into his own in season 2018-19, that was despite coming up against World Cup player Boayta and on-loan starlet Benkovic. There was still much for Ajer to learn, but finally you could see him hold his own and lead the defence, and he helped to shore up the team as they completed the incredible domestic Treble-Treble. He also chipped in with a handful of goals too, proving some attacking ability.

His form continued in the next season, even with the change of manager to Neil Lennon. He was pretty much a constant starter throughout the season. Admittedly, he came unstuck at times especially in key games, and his partnership with either Simunovic or Julien could be criticised. Major losses to Cluj (twice) and Sevco (December 2020) showed he still had much to learn but he was young. Some argued he was likely more a midfielder than a natural defender, but players have to adapt.

However, there was still a lot of confidence in him from the coaches, with an excellent performance v Aberdeen in February 2020 in which he scored to help the side to a 2-1 win, with Neil Lennon praising him:

“He’s an outstanding footballer all round. He doesn’t see himself as a defender. He thinks he’s Franz Beckenbauer at times, but he’s got some great attributes. He was cool as a cucumber.”

Each season he was improving, but criticism was rife mostly as the defensive unit as a whole wasn’t functioning well at Celtic. He could be naïve, and slide into thin air or get too tight to his player, but that could be worked on. Problem was also that once Brendan Rodgers departed Celtic, the coaching & tactics declined, and as with others this impacted Ajer. Granted the defence was already heavily criticised under Rodgers it was to worsen.

His agent was eyeing bigger money. The papers reported interest for £15-20m potential bids from Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Liverpool (then the English champions) and then Southampton. Not many believed all these stories, and put it down to the agent or sympathisers placing in stories to test the waters. A cynic would argue that Lennon’s lesser standing to Rodgers allowed the agents greater room for manoeuvre.

If ever there was a time to most prove himself then it was the Covid impacted season 2020/21. Celtic were supposed to be charging towards a record tenth league title in a row, but instead surrendered it to Sevco.

Season 2020/21 started as a disaster, and after the debacle v Ferencavros that knocked Celtic out of the European Cup qualifiers, Ajer’s party handed in a transfer request the next day. Lennon after the match had publicly criticised players post-match about those who weren’t on the ball at Celtic and looking beyond the club. It didn’t help matters.

The managerial setup under Neil Lennon was a shambles, and the section that received the most flak was the defence. Ajer was by no means the poorest player in that unit (far from it) but the defence was leaking goals as if the tap was left on.

Despite the difficulties, he could be argued to have sealed the most important moment of the season in the covid delayed Scottish Cup final in December 2020. After a fraught 3-3 draw against second tier Hearts over 120 minutes, he had the final penalty and hammerred it home to win Celtic the title and complete the quadruple treble.

He won praise from a number of supporters and was named the Celtic player of the year by his team-mates but that was actually little consolation. He was hardly helped by having to partner the unreliable Shane Duffy and losing Jullien to injury, but Ajer’s own form for the season was below par as it was for practically every other player at Celtic. He was still a very able player in an abjectly performing side, but he was playing in a highly mismanaged, poorly coached & dysfunctional defence.

The irony is that at the start of the 2020/21 season, AC Milan were reportedly to be interested in signing him for good money (speculated to be £14m), only to then face Celtic in the Europa League Group stages. Celtic were abject and leaked a near record loss of goals for any side to date in the Europa League Group stages. It didn’t help his case for a big move.

He could do well in a better set up, and his agent had made it clear he wanted Ajer to move on from Celtic. Ajer was young and had developed strongly over the seasons into a fine player whom we were all hopeful could make further progress. However, the success in England of Tierney & Virgil van Dijk had elevated certain player’s own forecasts a little too high which can end up being counterproductive. With all due respect, Ajer was not as yet at that same level, and those two players had already proven their high status before moving down south, Ajer still had some way to go.

Various clubs followed up interest in him during the summer of 2021, and he was sold to newly promoted & unfashionable Brentford in the top tier for the first time for an estimated £13.5m plus addons (upto est £4-5m), plus 10% sell on fee. For a player with one year left on the contract, that was an incredible financial deal for Celtic, albeit some questioned the choice of club he was signing on for.

You have to admire that Ajer came as a young precocious talent, and had over time grown to become a far better & developed player, albeit yet not the finished article. After having been on the club’s books for five seasons, you couldn’t begrudge his wish for a new challenge, with Celtic earning a fair pay-off on his departure to help on a much needed rebuild. He’d played in a great era for Celtic, which will make him a player many will look back on with respect.

He was one further example who proved that Celtic was a perfect platform to develop within and to make a career to then move on to the monied major leagues if that was their long-term plans (as generally is the case with players from abroad). In his wake, Celtic had some hopes for upcoming youngsters like Welsh & Murray, so Ajer was a fine reference point for them both.

We wished him the best.

Post-Celtic

[….]

Quotes

“He has everything a top defender should have. He’s got decent pace, he’s good in the air and he’s strong. He started off in midfield so he’s comfortable on the ball. He definitely has everything to really progress at this club.”
Craig Gordon (Dec 2017)

“For me, I’ve always thought that Scottish fans are the best in the world in terms of creating an incredible atmosphere and fantastic noise. Without a doubt, this is one of the best countries in the world to play in for atmosphere.”
Kristoffer Ajer (2019)

“You dream of playing for a massive club and to wear the Celtic badge and play on Celtic Park is really special.”
Kristoffer Ajer (2019)

“He’s an outstanding footballer all round. He doesn’t see himself as a defender. He thinks he’s Franz Beckenbauer at times, but he’s got some great attributes. He was cool as a cucumber.”
Lennon on Kristoffer Ajer after 2-1 win v Aberdeen, in which Ajer scored the winner (Feb 2020)

“Quite simply, I’ve become a Celtic supporter… Leaving now means I can give something back.”
Ajer (Jun 2021)

“The guys here at the training ground are sick of hearing me talking fondly about my time at Celtic.”
Kristoffer Ajer besotted with Celtic when at Brentford (2023)

Playing Career

APPEARANCES	LEAGUE	SCOTTISH CUP	LEAGUE CUP	EUROPE	TOTAL
2016-17	0	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (1)	0 (1)
Goals	0	0	0	0	0
2017-18	23 (1)	5 (0)	1 (0)	4 (0)	33 (1)
Goals	0	0	0	0	0
2018-19	23 (5)	3 (1)	3 (0)	8 (2)	37 (8)
Goals	0	0	0	1	1
2019-20	28	3	4	15	50
Goals	3	0	0	1	4
2020-21	31	0	1	8	40
Goals	1	0	0	0	1
Total	111	12	0	38	170
Goals	4	0	0	2	6

Honours with Celtic

(Honours below are only for those campaigns in which the player has played in at least one match in the campaign)

Scottish League

2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20

Scottish Cup

2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20

Scottish League Cup

2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20

Pictures

Player Pics

KDS

First Thread: http://kerrydalestreet.co.uk/topic/9273217/12/?x=50

Articles

July 2017

KRISTOFFER AJER reckons taking a step back into defence will see him make giant strides forward at Celtic.When the Hoops snapped up one of Norwegian football’s hottest prospects, Ajer had made his name as a midfielder.The talented teenager had already captained his club IK Start as a 16-year-old – the youngest ever to do so in the Tippeligaen – when he agreed a four-year deal with Ronny Deila at Celtic in February 2016.

Now though, under the guidance of Deila’s Celtic successor Brendan Rodgers, 6ft 5in Ajer is flourishing in the heart of defence and impressed in the first-half of the Hoops’ friendly defeat to Lyon at Parkhead on Saturday.

Ajer admits learning from Kolo Toure and Erik Sviatchenko followed by a loan spell at Kilmarnock in the second half of last season brought his game on leaps and bounds and the 19-year-old is comfortable in his new role.

Ajer said: “I had a really good chat with the gaffer when I came here about my position.

“I am now a centre-half. I always knew that would happen one day, but in Norway I was a midfielder as that was the best place for me to develop at that stage of my career.

“But now it’s better for me to focus on that defensive role and work on developing there.

“I have learned a lot in the last year.

“For the first six months, it was great working with the gaffer and learning from the top players here, then I had six months at Kilmarnock and that went well so I feel like I have improved as a player.

“I have worked on my positioning and how the gaffer wanted to play out from the back and my timing in the tackle is better.

“I feel much more in control of where I need to be when we don’t have the ball and are defending. I feel a lot more comfortable as a central defender.

“I learned a lot over six months at Celtic and the other centre halves were really good with me – Kolo Toure was a massive help as was Erik Sviatchenko.”

Ajer played in the heart of a makeshift Celtic defence that managed to keep Lyon at bay before the break – new £4.5 million signing Olivier Ntcham also made an impressive start.

Rodgers had rested the entire starting 11 that beat Linfield 2-0 at Windsor Park on Friday and in the second half Lyon ruthlessly exposed a young Hoops side with Maxwel Cornet, Myziane Maolida, Nabil Fekir and Amine Gouiri completing a 4-0 win.

Celtic will be back at full-strength when Linfield come calling on Wednesday night and Celtic should progress to the Champions League third qualifying round to face either Rosenborg or Dundalk – who drew 1-1 in midweek.

Ajer knows if favourites Rosenborg prevail then the Hoops will have a tough test against his countrymen.

He said: “First, we have an important game against Linfield on Wednesday, we did well over there and now must make sure we go through. Rosenborg also have to get through but they are a good team who have done well in Norway.

“They will be a good opponent. They have strong attacking players who are good on the ball.

“The league is quite strong but it’s not that physical compared to here.

“I learned a lot on that side when I came here from guys like Broony, in terms of how to go into duels and win them.

“Celtic are a huge club with brilliant fans and a great history, while Rosenborg are in the biggest club in my country so it would really get a lot of attention.”
http://www.express.co.uk/Kristoffer-Ajer

Celtic kid Kristoffer Ajer was destined for the top after being made captain of IK Start aged just sixteen

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/celtic-kid-kristoffer-ajer-destined-11792223
Former team-mate Jesper Mathisen reveals how maturity of Hoops star from an early age made it clear he would be able to handle life in Scotland’s top flight.

Kristoffer Ajer might have been a fresh-faced youngster but everyone in Norway saw him as a natural born leader right from the Start.

The Celtic youngster came through his Old Firm debut with rave reviews last weekend and is set to be rewarded with his first call up to the Norway senior side.

No one in his homeland is surprised as the Scandinavians have been convinced the 19-year-old was destined for the big time since day one and see him as their great defensive hope.

Ajer’s had to bide his time at Parkhead but he was a sensation in Norway. He was a star at IK Start as a kid and was even made captain at 16 the youngest player to skipper a side in the Norwegian top division.

Ajer has started to become a regular in the Celtic squad this season

Former team-mate Jesper Mathisen, who is now a pundit with TV2 in Norway, knew immediately Ajer was ahead of his time.

The former Start defender said: “I’d never met an older 16 year-old! He was young but he was so mature on and off the pitch.

“He’s one of my closest friends from that time. There are 11 years between us but that shows how mature he is. He’s like an old man!

“That’s why he was captain at just 16. It was a huge moment for him. The people around the club thought it was a bit weird at the time.

“Some were negative. They felt it was putting even more pressure on young shoulders, especially as it was against his old club Lillestrom.

“But everyone inside the club had seen how he trained and it was no big deal for them. He was the leader in the dressing room even then.

Kristoffer Ajer during his time at IK Start

“He decided he wanted to be the best player he could possibly be and was the first player in the dressing room and the last one to leave. The other players understood they had to step up.

“Of course there were more experienced players, some with hundreds of matches in the Norwegian league but the way he worked and prepared for matches was a new standard. The players accepted it. They said, ‘okay, he’s young but he’s a special player’.”

Mathisen was in Glasgow to visit his pal for last month’s Champions League clash with Anderlecht and has kept close tabs on Ajer’s progress.

He tuned in for the Old Firm showdown and heard BBC pundit Pat Nevin comparing the kid to £50m Manchester City defender Jon Stones.

Mathison agrees. He’s convinced Ajer is at the ideal club to develop and believes his buddy will kick on to become a mainstay at the heart of the defences for club and country – before eventually following in the footsteps of record-breaking former Celt Virgil van Dijk and cracking the English Premier League.

The pundit – whose IK Start legend dad Svien had a short spell at Hibs in the 70s – said: “It was a big deal he was given the chance by Brendan Rodgers in such a huge match.

“For a young lad from Norway he should have been nervous playing in the biggest game for the fans and the players.

“But while there were some small problems, he dealt with them and was one of Celtic’s best players.

“I can see why Nevin compared him to a young Jon Stones. It was a massive compliment but you can see similar styles. Kristoffer will continue to get better.

“Many young players when they break through they are happy but he will continue to train harder than anyone.

“Kristoffer is at a big club but he can go even bigger one day. I also know he loves being at Celtic. I can see why when you see the stadium and 60,000 fans every other week.

“And when you look at what has happened with Virgil van Dijk, it’s a great path he is going down. There is no doubt Kristoffer will play in the Premier League in the future but he is in the perfect place for the next couple of years.

“In Norway we hope he will be the new leader for the national team.

“We have not had someone like that in defence since Brede Hangeland retired. The way he is developing is fantastic for him, for Celtic and for the Norway team.”

Lars Lagerback is set to hand Ajer his first call-up to the Norway senior squad

Ajer’s old gaffer takes pride in seeing his prodigy progress.

Former Start boss Mons Ivar Mjelde admitted he was lucky the lanky lad landed on his doorstep after deciding to leave Lillestrom to be closer to his family in the south of Norway.

But he saw the potential and chucked the kid in to his side at just 16 and quickly made him skipper.

Mjelde saw so much talent he played him as an attacking-midfielder but he was convinced the youngster would eventually flourish at the back.

The gaffer – now in charge at Asane – said: “Kristoffer had so much ability he could play anywhere.

“In the first half of the season he was our top scorer. He maybe didn’t have the speed to play those forward positions at the very top level but he could do so in Norway.

“It’s natural for him to move towards the back because he was is clever on the ball and can read the play.

Brendan Rodgers has been showing more and more faith in Ajer this season

“I’m very happy to see him develop at Celtic. The manager has been very smart with him, sending him on loan to learn more about playing in defence, and now he is back he is getting better and better. His potential is huge.

“He is a very modern defender. You see the way he plays, he’s not afraid to attack with the ball from the back.
“He is strong in the air and in the tackle but he has the ability on the ball that is so important in the modern game.

“I was sure immediately he was going to go far in the game and go to to become a Norway international. I knew IK Start was just the beginning for him.

“You never know where he will end up but he is continuing to make great progress and I am delighted for him.”

Kristoffer Ajer sends Farewell Message to Celtic with special praise for John Kennedy
By Editor 21 July, 2021 1

Kristoffer Ajer sends Farewell Message to Celtic with special praise for John Kennedy

Kristoffer Ajer posted a message to Celtic this evening after completing his move to Brentford today. The Norwegian defender clearly retains a great affinity for the club and is leaving to develop is career by playing in the Premier League.

Celtic have done very well in their central defender dealing today, selling Ajer for an initial payment of £13.5m its add-ons taking the deal up to £18m should the metrics go in Celtic’s favour. Presumably number of appearances and Premier League survival for newbies Brentford.

“Five years ago I travelled to Glasgow not knowing what to expect,” Ajer wrote. “The stories I got told seemed incredible, but the very first time I walked out at Celtic Park I truly understood how big a club Celtic really is.

“Football without fans is nothing,” and I want to thank every supporter that has contributed to making my time at Celtic so special.

“I also want to thank the managers that have developed me as a player, back room staff that has helped me through ups and downs, and also my teammates that have become great friends that will last a lifetime.

“A special mention also to John Kennedy, the most important person for me during my time Celtic. Without him we would never win the quadruple treble.

“I wish everyone that loves Celtic a successful future, I will always support the club,” signing off as Kris.

Sep 2021

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