Kristoffer Ajer Explains Why Aaron Hickey's Brentford Role Change Did Not Concern Him

Kristoffer Ajer has praised Aaron Hickey's ability to adapt after the Scotland international was called upon to play at centre-back during Brentford's 2-2 draw against Aston Villa.

Hickey replaced Jannik Schuster at half-time on Saturday, moving into the middle of Keith Andrews' defence alongside Ajer. Despite it being the first time the pair had played together as central defenders, the Norwegian had no concerns about Hickey taking on an unfamiliar role.

Speaking to Brentford's media team after the game, Ajer said: "No, it was a new partnership. I think Hickey did extremely well in the second half. He can play anywhere on the pitch, so I wasn't too concerned about that."

The switch at the back came with the score at 1-1, after Yehor Yarmoliuk's early opener had been cancelled out by Nicolas Jackson. Villa had already caused Brentford problems before the interval, forcing Caoimhín Kelleher into a superb double save shortly before the break.

Schuster’s withdrawal over injury concerns saw Hickey step in to replace the Austrian youngster. It wasn’t a quiet afternoon either, with Hickey dealing with plenty of pressure during his 45 minutes on the pitch. One of his most important interventions came shortly before John McGinn's goal in the 77th minute, making a last-ditch challenge to stop Ibrahim Mbaye inside the Brentford penalty area.

The danger wasn't over, however. Johan Manzambi collected the loose ball and found McGinn, whose deflected effort put Villa ahead. Their lead lasted just two minutes, with Ajer combining with Jaidon Anthony before finishing from close range.

For Hickey, the appearance was another opportunity to build on his return to regular first-team football after an injury-disrupted period at Brentford.

The 24-year-old missed much of the 2023/24 campaign after suffering a hamstring injury against Chelsea, and his absence eventually stretched beyond a year. Nevertheless, the Bees extended his contract in January 2025, keeping him at the club until at least 2028.

He made 26 appearances across all competitions last season, including a memorable outing against Villa in the Carabao Cup when he scored his first Brentford goal.

Andrews was equally pleased with how Hickey handled the change against Villa, explaining afterwards why he felt comfortable trusting him in an unfamiliar position.

"I just trust Aaron to do that," Andrews said in his post-match press conference. "It's not a position that's natural to him, I wouldn't say, but he is a very natural footballer and has huge game intelligence. He adapted to it really well."

Brentford had other defensive options available on the bench, including Sepp van den Berg and Benjamin Fredrick, but Andrews opted to bring Hickey on alongside Ajer rather than make a like-for-like change.

The result extended the Bees' unbeaten Premier League start to six matches, with Andrews' side having taken 12 points from their opening fixtures.

There is still a question over Schuster's availability ahead of Brentford's next Premier League match against Liverpool, particularly after Andrews revealed that his ankle had been troubling him before kick-off.

The manager has not provided a definite return date, and it is unclear whether Schuster will be available for the visit of Liverpool. Hickey has now given Andrews another option in central defence, having previously featured predominantly at full-back since joining Brentford.