John Kennedy has hit back at Norway boss Stale Solbakken for being disrespectful towards Celtic.
The Parkhead interim boss wasn’t happy with comments made during the international break regarding Hoops defender Kris Ajer.
Solbakken urged the centre-back to quit Celtic this summer because he’d picked up too many bad habits in the Scottish Premiership.
Ajer is entering the final year of his contract at Celtic and his future remains uncertain with new gaffer Eddie Howe set to be announced next week.
Last week, Norwegian gaffer Solbakken said: “Kristoffer has to change the league now, he must.
“He does not have enough challenges in everyday life.
“Therefore, I think he has got some habits, which you do not notice until he meets better opposition at international level or Europe.
“So, I think it would be a smart move for him.
“Kristoffer should go to one of the five major leagues. He will do that.”
Solbakken’s assistant Brede Hangeland even said Ajer’s performances in Scottish football were like a senior player going up against juniors.
But Kennedy, who wants the defender to stay at Parkhead, has blasted the Norwegian coaches, claiming Celtic have played a huge part in Ajer’s development.
He said: “I thought it was disrespectful to both the league and the club.
“We are a massive club in our own right who compete in Europe every season.
“To come out with such a strong statement about what a player must do, I don’t think that’s the right thing to do.
“It’s not his position to say that. If he wanted to have a private conversation with Kris over that, fine.
“But I certainly don’t think he should be coming out publicly and telling a player what he should or shouldn’t do.
“Especially when you play at a club like Celtic. Anybody who has been at Celtic will have realised the size of it the minute they stepped through the door.
“The magnitude of it, the fan base and the expectation.
“We have had a huge part in Kris’s career to date and how he has developed into the player he is.
“There’s no doubt there will be interest in Kris because of his profile, his age and where he is at.
“But I found the statement and the comments disrespectful towards ourselves.”
Ajer could be one of several Celtic first-team stars to leave this summer with prospective new boss Howe facing a huge rebuilding job.
New chief executive Dominic McKay doesn’t officially replace Peter Lawwell until July 1, while skipper Scott Brown is also leaving for Aberdeen.
Kennedy admits the club faces the biggest revamp he can remember at Celtic.
He said: “It probably is, in terms of the timing of it. Everything has happened at the same time.
“But things evolve. People say there will be massive changes in the summer and there will be in terms of personnel.
“But a lot of things will be stable as well.
“There are important positions in the club that need to be addressed but hopefully what goes on behind the scenes here will allow those who come in to have an easier transition into a good working environment.”
