When Daizen Maeda is in full flow, there are few Celtic players more thrilling to watch, simply because his relentless style is absolutely devastating to the opposition.
That was proven when Celtic kicked off their post-split fixtures with a bang on Saturday evening in front of a raucous Parkhead crowd.
Maeda netted a brace against Falkirk, boosting Celtic’s title chances, and Kieran Tierney, who is playing alongside the Japan star for the first time this season, is now getting a flavour of what he is all about.
“He’s unstoppable,” stated Tierney. “There is no player like him. When he plays like that, it lifts the whole team.”
Was that Daizen Maeda’s best performance of the season?
Kieran Tierney gives Daizen Maeda his flowers after Celtic beat Falkirk
This has largely been an unforgettable season for Maeda, scoring just nine goals in all competitions before the Falkirk match.
Remember, only last season, Maeda was winning Scotland’s PFA Player of the Year after firing in 33 goals in all competitions.
But if the all-action forward can transform unforgettable into ‘unstoppable’ for every remaining game in the post-split fixtures, then Martin O’Neill will be lifting the Premiership title in May.
What’s very promising from a Celtic perspective is that everything fans saw against John McGlynn’s side was Maeda in an absolute nutshell.
That’s why on Celtic TV, Tierney was going one better and stating that ‘there is no player’ like Maeda, and the effect his in-form presence has on the rest of his teammates.
“But this guy is on fire now,” said Tierney as Maeda stood next to him. “He’s unstoppable. There is no player like him. When he plays like that, it lifts the whole team.
“It was up there (in one of my best goals at Celtic Park). I was just happy to get the goal. I think the second goal is crucial, right before half-time as well. It settled everyone a bit, so delighted for it.”
Receive a digest of our best Celtic content each week direct to your mailbox
