The 19-year-old has emerged as an excellent central defender for Celtic.
Kristoffer Ajer of Celtic vies with Manuel Milinkovic of Hearts of Midlothian during the Scottish Premier League match between Celtic and Heart of Midlothian at Celtic Park on January 30,…
Not many Celtic fans have a lot of kind words to say about former manager Ronny Deila. He had domestic success at Parkhead but his performances in Europe with the club and in big games in general left many happy to see him depart when he did.
He also brought in plenty of bum signings. Colin Kazim-Richards, Carlton Cole, Gary Mackay-Steven. In fact, of all his signings, only a handful are still at the club. Others have proven to be successful – such as Craig Gordon.
But in the long run the one player Celtic will surely have Deila to be thankful for is Norwegian youngster Kristoffer Ajer. Originally signed as a midfielder he has quickly developed into a savvy central defender.
Celtic manager Ronny Deila reacts at the final whistle as Celtic beat Motherwell 2-1 to move 8 point clear at the top of the Ladbrokes Scottish Premiership, during the match between Celtic…
Deila was integral to the signature of his young countryman from IK Start and many were concerned his development could be stifled by his departure. But Rodgers has given him a chance and the 19-year-old has more than proved himself worthy of a place in the Celtic first-team.
His form this season has even seen another Deila recruit, Erik Sviatchenko, head out on loan after failing to get back in the first-team picture.
Deila did a lot wrong and a lot right at Celtic. Ajer falls into the latter category and could even be at the very top of it.
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