How Brendan Rodgers aims to improve Daizen Maeda further under his watch at Celtic

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Brendan Rodgers has hailed the qualities that Daizen Maeda brings to the Celtic team but reckons the coaching staff can help him improve even further next season.

Maeda is one of the players to have recently signed a new contract at the Bhoys, alongside Kyogo Furuhashi and Callum McGregor. The attacker has signed on until the summer of 2027, which takes the Japanese through his peak footballing years, currently aged 25.

The Japanese international is undoubtedly an effective presence in the Celtic team, even if some of his play can frustrate sections of the support. Rodgers was keen to stress his attributes but reckons he can add more goals to his game and that is apparently the aim of the coaching staff.

Brendan Rodgers believes Daizen Maeda can improve

The new Celtic boss said [Celtic FC]: “You can’t underestimate his speed. He’s a player different to some of the others. Some of the other players’ strengths are dribbling and taking people on, but what he gives the team is he can play in a number of positions.

“He sets the tone for the pressing, whether he’s playing on the left side or sometimes he plays through the middle when he’s played for Japan, so wherever he plays, he presses the game.

“He works tirelessly and if we can help him add more goals to his game then you’ll see him constantly improve hopefully.”

Maeda scored 11 goals in 49 appearances last term and, in total, has 19 from 71 across his Celtic career. That scoring rate could definitely do with improvement. In fact, the end product all around from the player – who has predominately played as a winger – would be welcome.

It will be very interesting to see if Rodgers utilises Maeda’s attributes in a different manner to Postecoglou. Will he be given license to be a little bit less hectic out of possession, perhaps urged to be a little bit more composed with the ball?

We may start to find that out in upcoming friendlies. For now, we can at least be certain that Maeda is a firm part of the manager’s plans, having been handed a glossy new contract.

In other news, Carlos Borges, Fabian Rieder and the curious summer Celtic transfer window.