Hoops kid Kristoffer Ajer could hardly go unnoticed in Glasgow.

The leggy Scandinavian has made his name at Celtic in the past few months after been drafted into backline that was crippled with injury problems. Having got himself in there, Ajer is keen to make sure he stays.

As Celtic prepare to go to Ibrox on Sunday afternoon in a game that could well be seen as the old proverbial six-pointer, the 19-year-old will be charged with offering Dorus De Vries some protection.

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Jason Cummings netted a hat-trick at the weekend as Graeme Murty’s side eased past Falkirk on their way to setting up a semi-final date with Celtic, a performance that may well see him start against Ajer and co this weekend.

It was Alredo Morelos whom Ajer had the task of nullifying back in December when they teams drew at Celtic Park and the defender believes that whoever he finds himself lining up against, the most important thing is to ensure Celtic come away from the game having stretched their lead at the top of the table.

“Morelos is a very good striker,” said Ajer. “He runs a lot and fights, so it was a tough against him. But I have been impressed with all the strikers in this league. It’s always a good fight.”

Ajer has found himself in the spotlight far more of late than he did when he initially arrived at the club. The player headed to Rugby Park last January on a six-month loan deal and was able to quietly acquaint himself with the rigours of Scottish football.

Having made it into Brendan Rodgers’ side, he is far more notable now but his only real ambition lies on making sure he is known for doing his job on the park.

There has been much chat this week about the potential for a genuine title race should Celtic slip up against their Ibrox counterparts but for Ajer, it is business as usual as the Parkhead side look to close in on their seventh successive title.

The Norwegian under-21 internationalist is wary of paying too much heed to what passes between the two sets of supporters as he looks to keep his focus.

Read more: Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers ignores white noise ahead of Rangers game

“After training, I try to stay away from all that happens in Glasgow between the clubs,” he said.

“Football is everything here in this city and there is fantastic support from the fans, no matter who they support.

“I know that every game means a lot to them and we have to remember that and keep our focus.

“It’s important that you don’t think about anything else apart from the games.

“It takes away energy if you do that.

“But Glasgow can be really proud of the fact that football is such a big thing.

“There are so many passionate fans here, they support their teams 100pc and that’s great, especially when you play for Celtic.

“I do get fans asking for selfies. That happened in Norway too, but it’s on a bigger scale here.

“But the fans have been really nice to me.”

Ajer’s start in the 0-0 game in December gave him the chance to appreciate what the fixture is about and he has barely looked back since then at Celtic.

Read more: Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers ignores white noise ahead of Rangers game

He has been a mainstay of Rodgers’ defence although it will be interesting now that Marvin Compper is fit as to whether or not Ajer keeps his place. The German defender has not played too much football but his experience might be something that appeals to Rodgers ahead of a fixture that has a tendency for drama, particularly when the gap between the teams is tight.

“You need to have the right mentality to play in those games,” said Ajer. “You need to be focused. You need to focus on the pitch - and not everything else around it.

“It will be a tough match at Ibrox and it is a big game for both clubs.

“I travelled there the last time but I wasn’t in the squad.

“I sat in with the Celtic fans and it was a good experience.

“We won 2-0, it was a good result - but I wasn’t singing. I am still trying to learn the songs.

“Starting the last game against Rangers was a big moment for me.

“We kept a clean sheet and did pretty well defensively.

“Craig Gordon had a fantastic game. He made one or two big saves and was fantastic.

“After that, it gave me a chance to kick on.

“I know that when you play centre-half for Celtic, you are expected to deliver every single time. That is what I try to do.

“I need to be 100 per cent ready for everything that happens to me.”