Celtic forward Daizen Maeda looked to be in impressive shape as he strutted his stuff during a Japan training session broadcast yesterday.
Maeda is with his national team ahead of their June camp in which they’ll have 2 friendly matches followed by the Kirin Cup. Daizen is yet to score for his country in any of his 4 appearances since his debut back in 2019.
However, he looked in fine form yesterday as he showcased a flurry of fine finishes in the 10-minute training video published by Japanese outlet Gekisaka. You can watch for yourself below:
Celtic teammate Kyogo was also involved in the preparations with both players coming off title-winning seasons at Parkhead.
Both men will be looking to bag opportunities after being in and out of Hajime Moriyasu’s side in recent camps. How much of that was down to tiredness however is anyone’s guess.
Japan kick their 4-game schedule off with a friendly against Paraguay on Thursday. A glamour clash vs Brazil follows 4 days later. Afterward, the Kirin Cup gets underway with Japan taking on Ghana. Regardless of whether they win or lose, they’ll play another match against either Tunisia or Chile respectively.
Celtic hero Daizen Maeda looks sharp in Japan training session
Some of those one-v-one finishes from Maeda were extremely impressive. Hopefully, it’s enough to catch Moriyasu’s eye for the friendly matches first and foremost.
It would be intriguing to see how Maeda’s pace fared against the likes of Brazil. Coming up against some of the top defenders in world football would be a great experience for Daizen. Especially ahead of the UEFA Champions League next season.
The same goes for Kyogo. How his movement compares with the quality of the Brazilian backline would be fascinating to watch. An impressive showing from both men in that one would certainly raise the excitement levels amongst Celtic fans for a start.
It’s a big fortnight for Daizen and Kyogo as they finally look to cement their spots at international level. It’s been a mixed back for both with their country since signing for Celtic.
We know how big an impact they can make domestically in Scotland. But going away with their country will see the competition step up a notch. Should both play against the likes of Paraguay and Brazil, it will give Celtic fans the chance to see them have individual duels against top-class defenders.
It’s an experience they’re both surely craving too. And given the video above, it doesn’t look as though Daizen could be doing an awful lot more.
In other news, Former A-League star explains what Celtic supporters can expect from Ange next season
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