IF they gave out awards for defending from the front, Daizen Maeda would have to free up a lot of space on his mantelpiece.
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has already suggested that there is currently no player in world football better than Maeda when it comes to pressing the opposition from an attacking position.
There is no doubt that the Japanese striker has been Celtic’s most eye-catching and effective player so far this season as they have made an impeccable start to their Premiership title defence.
Maeda’s seemingly indefatigable willingness to chase and harass when out of possession is a quality that is understandably held in high regard by Rodgers.
Of course, there’s a lot more to Maeda than simply earning comparisons to Duracell Bunny for his playing style.
Striker Daizen Maeda has already scored six goals for Celtic this season
Manager Brendan Rodgers praised Daizen Maeda for his industry
The 26-year-old is currently Celtic’s top scorer with six goals in his eight appearances so far this season and a couple of assists for good measure.
It’s an area of his game that Maeda takes great pride in and he has revealed that he hopes to set new standards on that front between now and the end of the campaign.
“I think if I keep playing like this, scoring and assisting in every game, the numbers will definitely surpass what I’ve done in my previous seasons here,” he said.
Maeda, who initially arrived on loan in January 2022, scored eight times in the second half of that season as Celtic won the first of their current run of three consecutive titles.
He scored 11 in his first full campaign at the club and then 10 last season as he adjusted to the change in management from Ange Postecoglou to Rodgers.
“The numbers have been few for me,” Maeda added, “and I want to score as many goals as I can.”
“I don’t think too much about the numbers in terms of goals or assists because the most important thing for me is to help the team win.
“But if my numbers go up this season, that would be great.” But the most important thing is always the team. “If the team plays well, that’s the most important thing for me.”
Maeda’s career-high tally was the 23 goals he scored for former club Yokohama Marinos in 2021, when he was the J-League’s joint top scorer. He already feels he could emulate that kind of pace with Celtic this season. “I have a similar feeling to the one I had when I played for Marinos that year,” Maeda said.
“Hopefully I can score as many goals as I can for Celtic this time. Of course, there will be some time in the season when I can’t score. That will definitely come.
Maeda was right in Celtic’s humiliating 7-1 European defeat to Borussia Dortmund.
“I have to be patient in those moments and try to have more opportunities to help the team.”
Maeda admits he was upset at being denied another goal during his current run of form when his excellent early effort against St Johnstone in the clash at McDiarmid Park last Saturday night was disallowed after a VAR review.
Team-mate Auston Trusty was deemed to have fouled Graham Carey in the build-up, a ruling that divided opinion among the Scottish FA’s key match incident results panel when they reviewed it.
“I was frustrated at the time, but in the end I got a goal,” said Maeda, who was outstanding in the 6-0 thrashing of Saints.
“Now I have the feeling that I can score in every game. I really can’t stand the frustration of having my goal disallowed, because I scored another one.”
Maeda is happy to share the load up front in a Celtic team in which Kyogo Furuhashi and Adam Idah are the only recognized centre-forwards.
“I don’t know if my goals take some pressure off the forwards,” he said. ‘But the other players think the same as me. They want to help the team. I am not a player who gives leadership to the team, but I do try to lead in the way I play. “That’s how I try to take responsibility on the field.”
After the tough experience of their 7-1 Champions League defeat against Borussia Dortmund in Germany on Tuesday night, Celtic return to a more enjoyable domestic meal this afternoon when they take on Ross County in Dingwall.
Daizen Maeda trains ahead of Celtic’s Premiership match against Ross County on Sunday
They will be looking to claim their seventh consecutive league victory since the campaign began, a run in which they have also not conceded a goal in the Premiership.
Maeda will look to sign in style with Celtic before duty calls during an international break in which Japan hopes to get closer to qualifying for the 2026 World Cup final. They got off to a perfect start last month, thrashing China 7-0 and Bahrain 5-0, and will hope to maintain their momentum when they face Saudi Arabia in Jeddah next Thursday and then Australia in Saitama the following Tuesday.
Maeda, who scored his fourth goal for his country in the victory over China, is keen to add to his 19 caps as he contemplates representing them on the biggest stage of them all for the second time.
He was one of Japan’s best players in Qatar two years ago, helping them reach the round of 16, where he scored in a 1-1 draw against Croatia before losing on penalties.
“If I look back at my career, playing in a World Cup final again would be fantastic,” Maeda said.
“It will all depend on how I play at club level. I need to give my best at Celtic in every game.
“After that, playing for Japan is my main goal.
‘Can this team qualify for the World Cup? Definitely.’