Celtic forward Daizen Maeda has reflected on the differences between playing for Ange Postecoglou‘s side and the Japanese national team.
The 24 year old spoke prior to Japan’ s 2-0 friendly victory over the USA on Friday, a game in which the striker played in the first 45 minutes in his typical boundless style.
As reported by Soccer King (Translated using DeepL Translate) Maeda said: “At Celtic you get a lot of chances, so to be honest, there is a part of you that can switch off (even if you don’t score).
“But I think the national team will have one or two chances like that, so it will be a difficult game if we don’t make the most of them. We have to concentrate even more.”
Maeda was unable to add to his first goal for his nation against Ghana in June, and despite also only registering one in for Celtic so far this season, was keen to reinforce that he’s not hung up on his recent dry spell.
He added: “I know how to build my mentality. A good state is when you are in a state of nothingness, when you are not thinking about anything. When you get into the zone, your strengths come out. I want to help my teammates in defence as well, and I’ll do my best to do both.”
Maeda scored eight goals in all competitions in the second half of last season after his arrival from Yokohama F. Marinos and quickly became a key player for Postecoglou’s Celtic, alongside fellow January arrivals Reo Hatate and Matt O’Riley.
He’ll be hoping that his bout in the USA friendly will stand him in good stead for a place in the Japan side for the Qatar World Cup in November, with Hatate and Kyogo also vying for spots in the 23-26 man squad.
System is king for player and manager alike at Celtic
If Maeda’s recent lack of goals isn’t fazing the striker, it certainly won’t be losing Ange Postecoglou any sleep either.
System has been king for Postecoglou and the vast majority of top-level modern coaches for some time now, with a player’s overall contribution to the side far more essential than simply their flat goals and assists.
Maeda has had chances, and missed a glaring one in the 3-0 defeat to Real Madrid, but these goals will certainly come with time, and he’s rarely one to resort to frustrated speculative efforts – rarely, if ever, shooting from outside the width of the goalposts – he’ll surely be rewarded for his discipline.
His relentless pressing and exceptional stamina are crucial assets to Postecoglou’s side, and given that the Aussie has now signed him for two clubs in a row, faith from his manager isn’t lacking for Maeda either.
That being said, Maeda and Celtic will look to bounce back from last Sunday’s disappointment in Paisley when Motherwell visit Celtic Park on Saturday.
In other news: Celtic connections fire Scotland towards Nations League promotion
Receive a digest of our best Celtic content each week direct to your mailbox
