Celtic booked their place in the Scottish Cup semi-final with a win over Hibs at Parkhead.
Brendan Rodgers watched his team make hard work of finishing off the Easter Road club, but goals from Daizen Maeda and Adam Idah eventually helped the Bhoys see off Hibs.
The Celtic boss’ starting XI had fans buzzing as Idah dropped to the Hoops bench as Jota made a return to the lineup as Rodgers named what is arguably his strongest team.
Hibs put up a decent fist of it, but, in truth, the Easter Road club never really threatened Celtic as the Parkhead club eased into the last four of the oldest cup competition in football.
And as the Scottish Cup draw takes place tomorrow night, Rodgers paid tribute to Daizen Maeda as the Japanese winger scored his 27th Celtic goal of the season.
Brendan Rodgers tells Celtic’s youngsters to pay attention to Daizen Maeda
Rodgers told Premier Sports, “The first goal, when you actually see it back, his anticipation in such a tight space, and the ground is made up over the defender, just to get there and read it, I think he’s an amazing role model.
“See, if you’re a young player, coming through, and you want to give your honesty to the game and your work and intensity and everything.
“No cheating, no nothing. Even away at St Mirren, that penalty we got last week he actually tried to stay on his feet. He’s so honest to the game.”
Brendan Rodgers delighted with ‘World Cup’ Celtic striker Daizen Meada
Rodgers went on further and said that even though he didn’t want to play Maeda as a striker, his performances in the World Cup with Japan proves that he has the quality to be a top striker.
“You just trace back to what I said,” continued Rodgers, “I said that he can play as a striker, but I didn’t want him to. I wanted another body just for depth, just for the game’s intensity.
“But I always knew that you don’t play for Japan in a World Cup as a number nine and score the goals he scored for Japan and for Yokohama, if you can’t finish.
“He’s not maybe a target man, you know that traditional, but look at all the goals he scores, the various types of goals, so he’s a goal scorer.
“Maybe not a direct up and down number nine, but he can score goals and finish and I think that’s he’s grown in confidence as he scores more.”
Celtic will know who they face in the semi-final when the draw is made tomorrow as Hearts and Aberdeen booked their place yesterday with Livingston and St Johnstone due to play tomorrow night.
Whoever the Celtic boss gets, he will be supremely confident of making the final with Maeda leading the Hoops frontline.
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