Celtic forward Daizen Maeda was one of the most talked about players during today’s World Cup last 16 clash between Japan and Croatia.
The Hoops attacker was lively throughout the exciting fixture at the Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakrah.
Maeda went close in the early stages of the match, which prompted the BBC’s Jermaine Jenas to give his thoughts on television co-comms.
“It’s funny with Maeda,” Jenas said on BBC One. “When you see his movement like that, you wonder why the goals don’t come as freely.
“It was really sharp movement in the box.”
15 mins later, he continued: “Strikers are selfish. They have to be. Their job is to score goals, it’s as simple as that.
“It’s not to run around and do midfielder’s jobs. I want my striker up there hitting the ball into the back of the net.”
While many Celtic fans may not disagree totally with Jenas’ assertion, he was made to eat his words just minutes later when Maeda struck his side’s opener.
The former Yokohama F. Marinos man peeled off at the back post and diverted the ball into the back of the net in typical poacher’s fashion.
He became the first current Celtic player to score a goal at the World Cup since Shunsuke Nakamura in 2006. (Georgios Samaras had just left the club in 2014)
Maeda played 64 minutes of the match before being replaced by Takuma Asano.
His overall display was an excellent one, with his off the ball running key in unsettling a Croatia defence featuring Josip Juranovic.
If Maeda can find a way to show a little more composure in the final third, he will be a player able to play at the very highest level.
In other news, the Celtic squad is looking as strong as ever ahead of our big domestic return in less than a fortnight
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