Former Celtic defender Kristoffer Ajer returned to Glasgow over the weekend as his national team, Norway, took on Scotland. The now Brentford man played the entire game from the start.
He managed to catch up with a few of his old Celtic teammates at full-time, whilst also heaping praise on Brendan Rodgers. It was the Irishman who gave Ajer his first real opportunity in Glasgow, with the 50-year-old helping him majorly in his development.
Ajer has no doubts Rodgers will succeed in his second spell at Parkhead. He said (Daily Record): “He’s a top, top manager. I am happy to see him back and doing well. Do I expect him to be successful second time round? One hundred percent. I have no doubt he will be successful because he’s a fantastic manager.”
Hoops fans will hope Ajer’s words ring true and for the 25-year-old, Rodgers was pivotal in his progression as a player. He said: “Brendan was amazing for me, the way he helped me, the way he spoke to me. The one-to-one conversations he had with all of the players was amazing. I went out on loan to Kilmarnock and that was important for me to get some game time, but he always kept in touch.”
The Norwegian internationalist is in no way the first person to come out and hugely praise Rodgers’ management style and development methods. The double-treble-winning gaffer is an elite football manager who can take players to new heights, and Ajer’s comments serve to back this up.
