Daizen Maeda is now a certified Celtic legend.
These past few weeks have cemented that status, and he deserves it for what he has given Celtic throughout his years.
Yes, you can’t hide away from Maeda being out of form for large parts of the season, but he has turned the screw when it has mattered most.
That hasn’t just helped Celtic beat Hearts to the title, but it has also left the media in Japan pretty pleased, because it’s now ‘momentum’ heading into this summer’s World Cup.
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Japanese delighted with Daizen Maeda’s World Cup ‘momentum’ after guiding Celtic to the title
Reo Hatate’s form has cost him a place in Japan’s World Cup squad, but Maeda is firmly in the final 26, after his strong end to the season.
While Callum Osmand’s goal sparked the pitch invasion, it was Maeda’s 87th-minute strike, after a nerve-racking VAR check, that sealed the title.
Given the number of high-profile Japanese players who have played for Celtic, their media regularly keep up with the goings-on in Glasgow.
The Japan edition of Goal focused on Maeda helping Celtic to the title, with their headline reading: ‘Daizen Maeda scores a dramatic winning goal to secure Celtic’s fifth consecutive league title! His fifth consecutive goal gives him momentum heading into the World Cup.’
They stated that the all-action forward was ‘outstanding’ against Hearts, before they noted his ‘one-touch’ finish to seal the trophy.
Maeda’s stats during post-split fixtures
Ever since Kyogo Furuhashi left in January 2025, Celtic have been searching far and wide for that regular goalscorer.
If you go back to the second half of last season, it was Maeda who stepped up and scored the goals as Brendan Rodgers won the domestic double.
Nobody was taking that mantle for large parts of this campaign, but during the post-split fixtures, Maeda went goal-crazy and showcased to the world why he is so loved by the Celtic fans.
- Post-split games: 5
- Starts: 5
- Goals: 7
- Assists: 1
- Sofascore ratings: 9.3 v Fal, 6.5 v Hibs, 8.0 v Ran, 7.2 v Mot, and 7.7 v Hearts
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