Celtic are officially back in action this weekend as their stars jet back in from all corners of the world to prepare for the trip to face Hearts at Tynecastle on Saturday evening.
From the 13 Bhoys that were present on international duty, nobody would’ve travelled further than the reigning Scottish Premiership champions’ Japanese contingent, who all played a part in their victories over Indonesia and China.
Last week, Daizen Maeda started against Indonesia before making a brief cameo away to China earlier this week. Reo Hatate appeared in the former vs Indonesia, while Kyogo Furuhashi came off the bench to complete a 13-minute cameo in the latter, replacing goalscorer Koki Ogawa.
Overall, Hajime Moriyasu’s men enjoyed another successful period and are now on the cusp of securing qualification for the 2026 World Cup.
After closing in on a historic achievement, Celtic winger Maeda has shared a post on social media that will whet the appetite for his return to club action.
Daizen Maeda makes Celtic pledge on Instagram
Taking to Instagram, Celtic fan favourite Maeda signalled his readiness to get his teeth back into club action with a simple vow to supporters.
Accompanying his selection of pictures from Japan’s triumph against China, the 27-year-old wrote on the platform via translation: “Thank you for your support! Back to the team and we will do our best again! #samuraiblue #Japan national football team.”
Earning his 20th and 21st caps over the break, the former Yokohama F. Marinos man has established himself as a staple for Celtic and Japan since moving to Parkhead.
Now, his main motivation lies with helping his side steer clear of the rest in Scotland alongside honing in on their hopes of Champions League progression.
Daizen Maeda’s excellent Celtic form is encouraging
Starting off the campaign in liquid form, Maeda has registered nine goals and three assists in 16 appearances, complimenting Nicolas Kuhn’s fantastic displays on the opposite flank.
Last term, the role of Celtic’s wide players was scrutinised as their end product wasn’t always as free-flowing as supporters would’ve liked.
Regardless, taking Maeda’s statistics into account, he is only two goal contributions away from equalling his tally from 2023/24.
Brendan Rodgers is clearly getting a tune out of his wide players, so you would expect the Japan international to put up some impressive numbers over the weeks to come.
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