Daizen Maeda has been a busy man in Japan.
His performances for the Samurai Blue at this summer’s World Cup established him as one of their most prominent players.
Maeda is expected to leave Celtic this summer, and has gone on record with his desire to move to the Premier League.
Back in Japan, however, he was asked if he fancied switching sports rather than clubs.
Should Celtic grant Daizen Maeda his Premier League wish?
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Daizen Maeda on becoming a sprinter: ‘My stamina is natural’
The Parkhead favourite was asked on DAZN Japan if he would consider becoming a sprinter for Japan at the 2028 Olympics, saying: “Unfortunately, I think the athletes are at a different level from me, so no.
“But I am humbled at the suggestion!
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He also paid a ‘courtesy visit’ to the Japanese Government’s MEXT (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology).
He said: “I have always been into running and I have been doing it from an early age. I didn’t practice at all. I just got better naturally. My stamina is also natural.
“When I was going through my education, I was watching the Olympics and I really enjoyed it. Football wasn’t going well for me at that time, so I decided I would quit and do gymnastics instead.
“My aim was always to go to the Olympics and represent Japan in the gymnastics events.
“But I gradually realised my body wasn’t flexible enough to be a gymnast, so from there, I tried to be a sprinter and worked on my speed all the time.
“As I was about to quit football for good, my friends and family brought me back to the game I now love. They encouraged me not to give up and to work harder.
“I actually enjoyed the running part of football rather than the game at first. But then I discovered scoring goals was more fun!”
Is Daizen Maeda a Celtic legend?
Daizen Maeda’s final run at Celtic
Maeda has established his status as a modern Celtic legend with his extraordinary form for the run-in, scoring in each of the Hoops’ last seven games of the season.
Among these goals were a sensational overhead kick against Rangers that will go down in history, as well as the goal that tipped the title decider against Hearts in the Hoops’ favour.
Maeda came close to leaving Celtic last summer, reportedly even clearing his belongings from Lennoxtown ahead of a proposed move to Wolfsburg.
His Celtic record now reads: 212 appearances, and 80 goals. He has won ten trophies and scored in the knockout stages of the Champions League.
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