Celtic winger Daizen Maeda is looking to use his experiences in the Champions League with the Hoops to his advantage at the 2022 World Cup.
The 24-year-old has been selected as part of the 26-man Japanese squad that will take part in the prestigious tournament this winter.
They face a tough group, taking on previous winners Germany and Spain, as well as South American side Costa Rica in Group E.
Maeda has become a key feature in Hajime Moriyasu’s squad and is expected to have a starting role after being one of only three Celtic regulars to be picked for his nation.
Playing for the Hoops under Ange Postecoglou, this campaign has provided the former Yokohama F Marinos man with the opportunity to play in the UEFA Champions League.
The Japanese international picked up his first taste of top club-level football, playing his part in all six of the Bhoys outings against Real Madrid, Shakhtar Donetsk and RB Leipzig.
Speaking ahead of his involvement in Qatar, Maeda stated that he is looking to use his experience of playing in the Champions League to his advantage with Japan.
Celtic’s European campaign was full of frustration after the Hoops failed to take advantage of their opportunities in front of goal. And Maeda is hoping it won’t be the same outcome for his national team, knowing that he and his teammates will have to be clinical.
He said [KKT]: “I was able to learn about the world level in the Champions League before the World Cup, so even though we didn’t win, I think I got a lot out of it.
“I want to use the experience I gained in the Champions League to help me in this World Cup.
“Celtic didn’t take our chances, and the other team did. I don’t think we will have many chances at the World Cup, but we can’t win unless we take that one shot, and I think we can ride the wave if we do, so I want to make every one of them count.”
Of course, as the Celtic support are well aware of by now, Maeda is known for his impressive pace and pressing ability.
The winger is hoping that those attributes can help the Japanese frontline create opportunities as they target a shock result in their World Cup group.
He continued: “I had the impression that the opponents didn’t like our pressing in the Champions League, and we created some chances with it, so I want to continue it at the World Cup. If we work hard and score goals, it will help the team a lot, so I want to prepare well. The Canada game is a friendly, but we want to play with the World Cup in mind.”
Maeda will be better for UCL and World Cup experiences when he returns for second half of the campaign with Celtic.
Although the Hoops finished bottom of their Champions League group, and there is a possibility that might be the case for Japan too, overall, Maeda will be a better player for those experiences.
Going up against some of the best club and international sides, the winger is now consistently playing against some of the best defenders in the world.
So, as he prepares to return for the second half of the domestic campaign, he will continue to be a valuable asset for Ange Postecoglou’s squad.
Not only this season, though, but also going forward, Maeda’s development as a player will be furthered by these experiences at the top level.
Fingers crossed, we can see the Celtic man learn from his Champions League experiences by achieving success with Japan before returning to the Bhoys in December!
In other news, Celtic supporters should be thrilled by latest Ange Postecoglou report amid Japan interest.
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