How quick is Daizen Maeda? Celtic supporters have always known he is rapid, but now we have a definitive answer thanks to UEFA’s Champions League stat tracking.
In fact, the UEFA player data hub shows that Maeda is one of the quickest players across the entire continent at the elite level. He ranks in the top five when it comes to top speed across the first three UEFA Champions League group stage games, clocking up a remarkable 35.6km/h.
He’s number four behind Karim Adeyemi of Borussia Dortmund, Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford and RB Leipzig star Lois Openda. However, he is ahead of famously quick superstars such as Alphonso Davies and Kylian Mbappe.
Impressively, Maeda has covered far more distance than any other forward in the top five, showing that he doesn’t just reach a lightning pace but that he is a bit of an iron man, too.
Daizen Maeda can be a genuine terror for Celtic
Speed isn’t everything of course. Maeda’s pace competitors offer far more in their overall skillset, but it does demonstrate the raw power at Celtic’s disposal. The Japanese star can cause defences so many problems with his running and movement.
That was proven on Wednesday night against Atletico Madrid. He was a thorn in their side for the entire 90 minutes. He also provided the assist for Luis Palma’s goal after springing the Spanish backline.
There’s little doubt that Maeda can show more composure and quality on the ball. At times it gets stuck in his feet or he finds himself in a dead end. His finishing could improve, too, with just two goals to his name from 13 starts so far this season.
However, he is a fantastic playing asset for Brendan Rodgers to have. He works tirelessly and is constantly probing weaknesses in opposition defences.
As he gets more and more used to what Rodgers wants from him, we should see improvement in other aspects of his game.
In other news, Brendan Rodgers comments point to Celtic’s big problem at Champions League level but it can be fixed.
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