We all know Daizen Maeda’s situation at Celtic.
If it was up to him, he’d have left in the summer – but after a troublesome transfer window, Brendan Rodgers simply couldn’t afford to let him go.
It isn’t an ideal situation for last season’s Celtic Player of the Year, who has less than two years left on his contract.
But for the next few months, this is how it will be. Rodgers has admitted that he feels the forward’s frustration, but hooked Maeda at half time in the Europa League on Wednesday.
With the Japan international not looking like the same player so far this season, some have questioned his commitment – ex-Celts favourite Charlie Mulgrew has now weighed in on the debate.
Charlie Mulgrew on Celtic’s Daizen Maeda
Maeda was rested in last weekend’s Premier Sports Cup victory over Partick Thistle ahead of starting the game against Red Star Belgrade in Serbia.
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His poor performance in that match led some critics to question whether he cares – but for Mulgrew, that is most definitely not the case.
He said on the Go Radio Football Show: “He’s a human being. If he’s emptying that locker of his stuff, he thinks he’s gone. So there’s one foot out the door a couple of weeks ago.
“He’s not lazy, and he cares. There’s two things for a fact. There’s no players that I’ve came across that don’t care. Everybody cares – psychologically, he’s just trying to get back to it.
“He’ll probably be saying ‘right, let’s get back back at it,’ and it’s difficult because he’s had one foot out the door.”
All Hoops fans will know that effort is a central aspect of Maeda’s game. Form can come and go, but commitment is non-negotiable.
Will Daizen Maeda start for Celtic against Hibernian?
There is now a serious selection decision for Rodgers to make – not just on whether Maeda starts the Hibs game, but what position he will play.
There are question marks over his best position amid his struggles playing as a central striker.
The form of Sebastian Tounekti seems to have established him as the first choice left-winger, whilst Kelechi Iheanacho has had a goal involvement in each of his three appearances for the Hoops so far.
Will Maeda be moved to the right? Will he have to settle for the bench? We’ll have a better idea after the game at Celtic Park.
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