It has been a while since Celtic were in Premiership action.
From the Scottish Cup to Champions League games, that has taken over in recent weeks, but Brendan Rodgers returned to the bread and butter of the league with a win at Fir Park on Sunday.
Celtic beat Motherwell 3-1, with Daizen Maeda opening the scoring inside a minute, Adam Idah adding to his brace from Villa Park and Jota scoring upon his return.
It now means that the champions are ten points clear at the top of the table – with a game in hand – and are heading towards another title with a cigar in hand.
Understandably so, all eyes and attention before and after the game are on Jota, especially given that he marked his second debut in the most perfect way possible.
But another man returning to the XI – after his recent suspension – was also given his flowers because Maeda just keeps going from strength to strength in Celtic colours.
Aiden McGeady and Kris Boyd praise Daizen Maeda as Celtic beat Motherwell
It’s frustrating that Maeda is going to be suspended for the first leg against Bayern Munich because his quality, on and off the ball, is going to be a huge miss.
Aiden McGeady touched upon his ‘fantastic’ header against Motherwell and how it’s ‘difficult’ to push him out of the team, even with Jota back.
Kris Boyd added by lauding the Japan star’s sharpness and how you ‘never know where he is’, as he told Sky Sports Football (02/02/25 at 3:55 pm).
“Fantastic goal,” said McGeady about Maeda opening the scoring. “I do think Motherwell in these opening 25 minutes really struggled in that low back five, Kaleta especially, not engaging Maeda.
“But listen, it’s a brilliant run by Maeda and he does what any good striker does and any good wide player does. He’s come in for the second opportunity and a great finish.”
Boyd added: “Going back to Maeda’s goal. You think of his pace from a standing start and how quickly he can get away from you.
“But, even one or two yards, just to move the defenders about. They never know where he is. Yes, Kaleta could have done better. But when you are always starting to scan around for him. You never know where he is and it was a fantastic goal.”
McGeady then stated: “Maeda, it’s one of those one where there is the pressure of Jota coming back. But Maeda, it will be difficult to put him out of the team, put it that way.
Maeda’s season in numbers for Celtic
There is something about wide players performing at their very best under Rodgers.
Go back to James Forrest and Scott Sinclair in Rodgers’ first spell to the transformation of Nicolas Kuhn this season.
Maeda was always a top player for Celtic, but this is the best football he is playing and he has now added that much-needed end product to his game.
