Arsenal
Aston Villa
Chelsea
Crystal Palace
Everton
Fulham
Leeds United
Liverpool
Manchester City
Manchester United
Newcastle United
Nottingham Forest
Southampton
Tottenham Hotspur
West Ham United
Wolverhampton Wanderers
News
Celtic striker Leigh Griffiths compares Kristoffer Ajer to Virgil Van Dijk and ex-Rangers striker Duncan Ferguson
Celtic striker Leigh Griffiths has compared team-mate Kristoffer Ajer to Duncan Ferguson and Virgil Van Dijk, adding that “the sky is the limit” for the youngster. Speaking after the 5-2 win over Motherwell, Griffiths raved about Ajer, .
Both Ajer and Griffiths scored in the win over Motherwell. Ajer, who was playing at right-back rather than at centre-back, burst into the box to equalise shortly after Motherwell went 1-0. And then Griffiths drilled in a long-range low free-kick to make it 2-1.
: “He was like big Duncan Ferguson the way he scored. It was such a composed finish. But the sky is the limit for the big man. He can play centre-back, right-back, he’s so composed and so good. For such a young lad, the world is at his feet.
“He can go all the way as long as he keeps his feet on the ground. He’s different class and didn’t put a foot wrong against Motherwell here. Does he remind me of Van Dijk? Yeah, but I don’t think Virgil would have been happy to play at right-back, whereas the big man just strolls up the flank.”
Reading into these comparisons
Ferguson, who scored five goals in two seasons for Rangers, was renowned for his red cards and goals. Van Dijk spent two years with Celtic and has since established himself as one of the most complete central defenders in the world.
While the Ferguson comparison was a tongue-in-cheek reference to Ajer’s composed finish, the comparison with Van Dijk is high praise. Any young centre-back should be aspiring to reach the heights that Van Dijk has in his career and Griffiths genuinely believes Ajer can copy Van Dijk’s route to success.