CELTIC’S dominant win on Flag Day was exactly the kind of performance Kristoffer Ajer promised from the champions. With the season now underway, Ajer is excited for fans to see how much more there is to come from himself and the rest of the Hoops squad.

The prolonged period without competitive football did not disrupt the impressive football Celtic were playing before the end of last season as Neil Lennon's side dismantled Hamilton 5-1 at Paradise on Sunday (August 2).

Ajer said the Hoops were determined to start the 20/21 season in style and credited the squad for working hard during pre-season to ensure they started the new campaign in the best possible shape.

"Everyone has been really excited to get going again after such a long break," said Ajer in an exclusive interview with the Celtic View. "To finally be back playing is a good feeling and the whole squad is excited to show what we can do.

"We've been eager to put on a performance after all the hard work during pre-season. When you look around the full squad, everyone looks really sharp in training and we're excited to show that in the games.

"We know we have to be at our best from the first game of the season. The fans expect us to win every game and we are hungry to win every game. That is never easy so we have to work hard in training to make sure we can live up to the expectations when we go out onto the pitch. We all love that kind of pressure and we've missed it, but that time away from football has only made us hungrier for more success.”

As impressive as Celtic football was last season, Ajer maintained there was more to come from himself and the rest of the team as they continued to map out their development.

"I did a lot of strength work during the summer so I feel I've developed that side of my game," said the Norwegian international. "I was lucky enough to be back home in Norway without a complete lockdown so I was able to do a lot of training with the ball and some work with my friends while adhering to the health advice. It was a good period of hard training and hopefully, it pays off now that we're back playing football again.

"On an individual level I feel I've been improving but the team as a whole has improved too. The gaffer has made it clear how he wants us to play and we're well drilled in the different tactics that he wants us to use. The more we work together the stronger we are as a team. This pre-season and the games have helped us improve and it's set us up well for the season."

Celtic View Interview: Kris Ajer says best is yet to come from Hoops