It has been an interesting few months for Celtic and Brendan Rodgers.
It wasn’t so long ago that Kyogo Furuhashi was leaving Celtic, and not only was that a surprise, but he wasn’t replaced during the winter transfer window.
Even though the Celtic Park faithful knew the Premiership title would be won and the Treble was on, it was still frustrating and annoying for those who pay their tickets.
But, fast forward to the present, and it has made very little difference because of Daizen Maeda’s blistering form.
Nobody is stopping Maeda right now, and he is rightfully heading towards winning the Player of the Year in Scotland this season.
Callum McGregor has seen first-hand, not just on the pitch, but on a daily basis in training, Maeda go from strength to strength, and he rightfully provided him with his flowers.
Callum McGregor lauds Daizen Maeda and departed Celtic star Kyogo Furuhashi
McGregor has played with many top, top strikers at Celtic, as Maeda and the departed Kyogo could lay claim to be the best since Henrik Larsson.
The Celtic captain lauded Maeda as an ‘unbelievable’ player and explained how, every time he is put through on goal now, ‘the whole stadium expects him to score’.
But McGregor was also keen to give a shout out to Kyogo and how he was also a ‘top, top striker’ for the champions-elect, as he told Celtic TV.
“Yeah, he has been unbelievable,” said McGregor about Maeda. “That’s what confidence gives you as well. He is scoring a lot of goals now.
“You see, every time he goes through on goal, I think the whole stadium expects him to score. That’s, one, credit to him, in terms of his ability and calmness in front of goal.
“And then, the team as well, we are getting him into those positions where he is finding himself regularly in the box and getting his finishing.
“Like you said, through the middle, a little bit of a different role, but he has been fantastic and filled that void that Kyogo left, who was also a top, top striker as well.
Maeda and Kyogo’s all-time stats at Celtic
You have just got to love Ange Postecoglou because he did ever so well to bring the Japan duo to Glasgow.
Not forgetting Reo Hatate, all three of those players have been outstanding for the club and have continued that dominance.
They are all rightfully Celtic legends, as Kyogo and Maeda’s goalscoring records speak for themselves.
