John Arne Riise compares Celtic defender Kris Ajer to Liverpool icon

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John Arne Riise reckons Celtic defender Kristoffer Ajer is a bit like legendary Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher.

The former Anfield full-back has heaped praise on his Norwegian compatriot, and believes he’ll be the next player to move on for big money after the £25 million sale of Kieran Tierney in the summer (BBC Sport).

Ajer has become a crucial player for the Bhoys in the space of the past year.

This season the 21-year-old centre-half has been key in both the Premiership and the Europa League, and Riise has been left thoroughly impressed.

He said (The Herald): “He’s a good player but he’s going to be even better

“He’s a winner and I expect him to move on to a bigger club eventually, which is fine as long as Celtic get what they deserve.”

And Riise didn’t stop there, moving to compare him to his former teammate.

“He’s quite big and people think he’s slow because of that but he’s quicker than you think and he’s a proper defender – a bit like Jamie Carragher who I played with at Liverpool,” he added.

“Jamie wasn’t the best technical player but he was a defender and Ajer is the same – he’s just a pure defender.”

TBR’s view – Ajer the next Tierney?

Celtic fans must worry that Ajer’s performances will see him become the club’s next big export.

His talent is there for all to see, and he really could follow in the footsteps of Tierney, Virgil van Dijk and Victor Wanyama and soon head to the Premier League.

Should he continue this impressive trajectory, it’s likely a club is going to offer in excess of the £25 million Arsenal paid for Tierney.