Norwegian centre half Kris Ajer made 115 appearances for Celtic. Winning three league titles and scoring the penalty to clinch a quadruple treble, his time in Glasgow was certainly success-laden, while he also played 16 matches for Kilmarnock during a short loan spell.
Ajer played for the Hoops against some of the best teams in Europe, competed for silverware and regularly encountered highly pressured circumstances. As such, the transition to life in the English Premier League has been smooth since he made his £13.5m move to Brentford in the summer.
The defender told Brentford TV: “It has been great (playing in the Premier League). I think coming from Celtic, it is quite easy to take that step.
“It is a massive club in Glasgow that is expecting you to win every single game. So, it has been easy to adapt but also quite challenging with regards to the opposition that you play every weekend. So it has been a great learning experience.”
The Bees are currently 12th in the league with 12 points from nine matches. They have beaten the likes of Arsenal and held Liverpool to a pulsating 3-3 draw. Ajer has been an ever-present figure in the back three and appears to be blossoming under Thomas Frank’s management. He is the latest in a long line of SPFL talents to succeed on English soil, joining recent names such as Kieran Tierney, John McGinn, Odsonne Edouard, Andy Robertson, Virgil Van Dijk, Stuart Armstrong, Teemu Pukki, Victor Wanyama, Fraser Forster etc.
Liam Kelly
You ordered the Harry Hood biography yet? It’s out on Monday and for all pre-ordered copies former Celtic Star Tommy Callaghan will join author Matt Corr in personally signing your copy. Link is below…