Barry Ferguson has admitted that he is “shocked” that Celtic defender Kristoffer Ajer is only 20 years old.
The ex-Rangers man made the admission during a discussion on the Scottish Premiership’s young player of the year on PLZ.
Ferguson opted to go with nephew Lewis, who plays for Aberdeen, as his choice for the accolade, but revealed that he only left Ajer off of his shortlist because he thought he was older.
As quoted in the Scottish Sun, he said: “I will say I’m missing Ajer there, that’s my fault. I’m disappointed in myself for the simple fact that I thought Ajer was a bit older.
“I’m shocked he is 20. I know my football and I was surprised. That is why he is not in my four.
“If he keeps playing the way he is playing Celtic are going to get a lot of money for him.”
OPINION
It’s testament to how good Ajer has been this season that Ferguson mistook him for an older player. There’s seems to be this general feeling that maturity is somehow linked to defensive solidity, and as such, if a player is a good defender, there is a natural assumption that he is older than he is. It is, of course, nonsense. If you’re good enough, you’re old enough, and Ajer is proving that with his displays for the champions this season. With Dedryck Boyata and Filip Benkovic likely to leave over the summer, keeping hold of Ajer could be crucial, and it will be the intention of Neil Lennon, or whoever else ends up in the hot seat at Parkhead next season, to build a defensive unit around him with one eye firmly on the future. He is definitely good enough to justify that level of hype, even at such a tender age.