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MADE IN SCOTLAND

Former Celtic star Kris Ajer says Scotch pies and haggis turned him into £13.5m Premier League star

ENERGY drinks, protein shakes and bottles of cherry juice were among the dietary staples favoured by Brendan Rodgers at Celtic.

But Kristoffer Ajer reckons Scotch pies and HAGGIS were the crucial ingredients in transforming him into a £13.5 million star.

Kris Ajer is in action for Brentford against West ham on Sunday
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Kris Ajer is in action for Brentford against West ham on SundayCredit: Rex
Kris Ajer bulked up on food like pies and haggis
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Kris Ajer bulked up on food like pies and haggis

Ajer landed in Glasgow as a lanky teenage midfielder but bulked up into a Treble-winning international centre-half.

Now starring in the English Premier League with Brentford, the Norway ace credits his Scottish diet for allowing him to muscle in on the big time.

Ajer told SunSport: “Glasgow was a huge step for me.

“I went there as a very young guy to a city that’s football mad. I absolutely loved it but it was a very challenging period.

“I had never played centre-half in my whole life but I think from the first day in Celtic I was training as a centre-half.

“I came to a massive club that wants the top every single day. At the beginning, I wasn’t ready for the quality needed to play for Celtic.

“I went out on loan, six months to Kilmarnock, and learned how to play centre-half. I came back and then felt more ready.

“When I came to Celtic, I played as a No 10 and weighed 82.3kg  on my first day at Celtic.

“When I came back a year later, I was 95kg. It was a lot of Scotch pies and haggis and training and then I was ready to play centre-half.

“I understood I had to change a lot about body type and the way I played. I was a more offensive player. To be a centre-half, especially in the UK, you really have to be very physical.”

Ajer, now 23, won three Trebles at Parkhead and became first-choice centre-half for his country.

He moved to Brentford in the summer and faces on-form Michail Antonio in a London derby tomorrow against David Moyes’ West Ham.

A clash with European champions Chelsea follows the international break — before a reunion with ex-Celts boss Rodgers.

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Ajer said: “Brendan was incredible for me. He developed me so much

“He changed so much at the club and went on and won the treble Treble at Celtic.

“He did spectacular work there, the way he set everything up, the way he helped young players, the way he spoke to everyone around the club with so much respect. I learned so much from him.

“John Kennedy is someone I am extremely close to. He is so good at developing young players, with the way he took care of me.

“There are difficult spells when you play football. You play bad games and, especially in a place like Glasgow, it can be quite tough.

“But he’s a guy that took care of me so well.

“He spent days off helping me develop at the training ground.

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“He was always there when I needed him. He’s a guy I have huge respect for. He was a great coach as well. You could see the work he put in every day.

“Football can change so quickly but the quality he puts in every single day for the players shows he will be a top coach for so many years. He’s a very good man.”

Ajer was involved in a thrilling 3-3 draw with Liverpool last weekend, a first meeting with Celts predecessor Virgil van Dijk.

But the big Norwegian won’t have any comparisons with the Holland captain despite making a favourable impression in his early weeks  in the English Premier League.

Ajer added: “It’s very dangerous to be compared to, for me, the best centre-half in the world.

“The career he has had is incredible. I watch him almost every weekend to see how he plays.

"But I keep trying to develop myself and be the best player I possibly can be. I want to learn from the best but I know that I have a lot I need to develop.

“It’s great to see what he’s done. But I’m not surprised because, when you play for Celtic, you know it is a massive club that would do very well in England.

“When you come from a club that’s expected to win every weekend, it’s easier maybe to settle into the Premier League.

“There’s a very strong belief in the squad that we can really upset a lot of teams this season.

“But we also know the quality in the Premier League can really hurt you if you are not at it. Straight after the Liverpool game, we were back at the training ground putting in great sessions. It’s a very healthy environment to be a part of.”

Meanwhile, Ajer insists he will continue to celebrate tackles and interceptions as if they were goals. 

And he has revealed he’s cheering Kilmarnock towards Championship glory this season.

He said: “I’m not scared of showing how I’m feeling on the pitch. It’s a lot of adrenaline. I’m living the dream.

“I’ve been thinking about these moments my whole life. When I experience something I’ve dreamed about for so long, I feel like I have to celebrate it.

"It’s a natural action. When the pressure at the back ends, you almost feel like you are saving a goal.  

“Why shouldn’t you celebrate that as much as  a goal? It’s  nice thing.

“I probably celebrate a tackle more now than the goals I scored before. I think you maybe bring some energy to your team-mates as well.

“I’m so grateful for everything that Kilmarnock did for me. I made some great friends there that are still some of my closest friends.

Read more on the Scottish Sun

“The way they took care of me was great. The physical side of the game helped me develop."


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