Daizen Maeda celebrates reaching major Parkhead milestone with class message to the Celtic fans

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Daizen Maeda has sent a message to the Celtic supporters after hitting a hattrick in his 100th game for the club against Livingston yesterday.

The Japanese winger was scorching against David Martindale’s side and in Celtic’s 4-2 win in the Scottish Cup and was named Player of the Match for his performance.

But, in truth, Maeda should have had at least two or three more after failing to convert gilt-edged chances in both halves at Paradise.

Maeda opened the scoring in the seventh minute before adding a second fifteen minutes later. A battling Livingston performance saw the SPFL bottom club twice draw level before the Japan international hit them late with his hattrick goal in the 86th minute.

Kyogo Furuhashi sealed the win five minutes into stoppage time with a trademark finish but all the headlines and adulation belonged to Maeda who marked his 100th appearance in the Hoops in outstanding fashion.

And last night, he sent a message to the Celtic fans on social media to celebrate:

Daizen Maeda hits career first at Celtic

The Japanese international winger’s 100th outing at Paradise is a career first for him. The most appearances prior to this was 70 for Yokohama F Marinos.

Before Marinos though, Maeda began his J League career at Matsumoto Yamaga, where he started his and made 57 appearances. He scored his first-ever goal at professional level in August 2016.

A loan move to Mito HollyHock beckoned where 13 goals in 36 appearances impressed and it prompted Portuguese outfit Maritimo to borrow the striker where he scored four goals in 24 outings in that season.

Yokohama F Marinos took the winger on loan in August 2020 and Meada scored his first goal for them just over two weeks later for Ange Postecoglou.

24 goals in 70 appearances made Maeda one of Ange’s first Celtic targets but he couldn’t get the deal done to buy him until the end of the J League season in 2021. [Transfermarkt]

He has his well-documented faults but Maeda has been a great signing for Celtic with 27 goals and 15 assists and his third career hat trick yesterday was the cherry on top of a memorable day for him.