Celtic have had a number of players on international duty over the last couple of weeks.
Celtic duo Cameron Carter-Vickers and Alistair Johnston went head-to-head as Canada beat the USA in consecutive games for the first time since 1985.
Reo Hatate and Daizen Maeda were called up by Hajime Moriyasu as the Japan boss looked to give the Celtic pair some international minutes as they qualified for the 2026 World Cup.
But it seems that out of the two, Moriyasu believes one of the Celtic first-team stars will be so important to how Japan plays when it heads to the world’s biggest football tournament next year.
Daizen Maeda talked up by Japan boss Hajime Moriyasu
Although Maeda failed to score in his only appearance for Japan against Saudi Arabia in this international break, Moriyasu highlighted the Celtic winger’s strengths which will be so important for the national side in the future.
Moriyasu told Soccer King, “He was able to press from the front and attack vertically and quickly, and he created chances in today’s game.
“He was highly praised for his ability to press up front and attack fast and vertically, and he created chances in today’s game.
“Fast vertical attacks will become a necessity, and chasing from the front is something we will have to work on as the level of our opponents increases.
I think he did a good job today of creating a flow while showing his strengths.”
Celtic’s Daizen Maeda’s World Cup qualification appearances for Japan
Out of the nine 2026 World Cup qualifiers Japan has played out, Maeda has featured in six of these.
Of those six, the Celtic winger has started just once with five caps earned from the Japan bench.
Myanmar 0 v 5 Japan: 28 minutes played
Japan 7 v 0 China: 27 minutes played and a goal
Saudi Arabia 0 v 2 Japan: Another 27 minutes for the Celtic winger
Indonesia 0 v 4 Japan: Maeda gets the second 45 minutes from the bench
China 1 v 3 Japan: Just six minutes this time for the Celtic attacker.
Japan 0 v 0 Saudi Arabia: 73 minutes for Maeda as the Hoops star gets a rare start.
If what Moriyasu says is true, the surely Maeda will be given a more prominent role in the Japan squad as the 2026 World Cup nears?
