Neil Lennon names Celtic star he believes is ‘undervalued’

Neil Lennon has named a Celtic star who he believes is undervalued, even jokingly drawing comparisons with German legend Franz Beckenbauer.

Celtic certainly did not have an easy time against Aberdeen. The windy conditions made it extremely difficult for the Hoops to gain any control or most parts of the game. And on top of that, a well-drilled side fielded by Derek McInnes gave the Scottish champions a great run for their money, even dominating at times.

Neil Lennon’s side found it hard to play the quick passing football that they like to do and instead were caught inside their own half for long periods. For a period of the game, they looked satisfied to just have their centre-backs punt the ball up the pitch in hope that it fell at the feet of a man in hoops.

Ultimately though it was Celtic would came out with all three points as their individual talent proved too much at the end. And it was a man who has caught the flak of the fans over the past few months, Kris Ajer, who got the winner in a hard-fought 2-1 victory.

And Neil Lennon hailed the defender following the game, even drawing comparisons with German legend Franz Beckenbauer jokingly. As reported by the Daily Record, the Celtic manager said:

"“He’s some player. I think he’s undervalued sometimes.“He’s been immense since I’ve come in. He’s shown his composure. It was a big moment and he took it brilliantly but he’s an outstanding footballer all round.“He doesn’t see himself as a defender he thinks he’s Franz Beckenbauer at times. He’s got good attributes and is cool as a cucumber so he’s weighed in with an important goal today but the team were great from one to 11 and the subs were good.”"

Kris Ajer has not been able to match the outstanding performances that he put in the first few months of the season over the last few months. But he still remains a consistent performer, scoring thrice and assisting two goals in 43 appearances, also showing the ability to fill in a number of positions. Thus, some of the criticism has certainly been over the top.

Hopefully, the goal as well as his manager’s praise will give the Norwegian the confidence to rediscover that early season form, when he was the standout performer at the club.