“He’s just your dream player,” rival boss on Daizen Maeda

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The Celtic Star

·23 aprile 2025

“He’s just your dream player,” rival boss on Daizen Maeda

St Mirren boss Stephen Robinson has been talking about Celtic forward Daizen Meada and admits that he’d love to have him in his team…

Daizen Maeda of Celtic scores his team’s second goal during the Scottish Gas Scottish Cup Semi Final match between St Johnstone and Celtic at Hampden Park on April 20, 2025 . (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Daizen has taken his game to new heights this season

It’s only this season that Daizen Maeda has taken his game to new heights, perhaps beyond the ceiling most people thought was their in what was at times an erratic game.

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One of the things that divided opinion on Daizen Maeda in his previous seasons at Celtic was you just never know what to expect from him. He could be capable of brilliance and also mistakes so bad that is was almost comical.

Not now. Play him on the wing, he’s getting his crosses in, he’s getting his goals coming in at the back post. Play him through the middle and the goalscoring is relentless, with the 40 goals Leigh Griffiths netted in 2015/16 season now very much in Daizen’s sights. Daizen’s game has improved dramatically under the guidance of Brendan Rodgers and his coaching staff.

Daizen Maeda of Celtic celebrates scoring to give Celtic a 2-0 lead. Celtic v Kilmarnock, Scottish Premiership, Celtic Park, Glasgow, 12 April 2025. IMAGO Photo Stuart Wallace Shutterstock

Daizen set to scoop all the POTY Awards

It would actually be astonishing if Daizen Maeda failed to win any of the Player of the Year accolades that will be handed out over the next month or so, and unlike Kyogo he’s not had to go abroad to convince the Japan Head Coach that he’s worthy of a game. Daizen is going to the World Cup.

Remember last season when Joe Hart was praising Daizen and noted that he’s not the type of person that you can sit down with and have a conversation. Daizen runs, Daizen trains, Daizen smiles and Daizen scores. It’s all about family for him and since being at Celtic he has caused not one bit of bother for anyone, except maybe James Tavernier.

James Tavernier and Daizen Maeda during the Scottish Premiership match at Celtic Park, Celtic v theRangers, 16 March 2025. Photo O’ Rourke/Shutterstock

Stephen Robinson too is a big fan. Speaking on PLZ Soccer the St Mirren manager gave this insight into Daizen, who incidentally loves his new song and thanked the Celtic support for it.

“I’d love to have him,” Stephen Robinson said. “When he’s next to me during the game, I’m like, you must be tired, come on, it’s time to come off.

Daizen Maeda. St Johnstone v Celtic, Scottish Cup semi-final at Hampden Park on Sunday 20 April 2025. Photo by Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

“But then they bring Kuhn on instead and I’m like, ‘Oh no, here we go’. But no, he must be an absolute dream.

“I spoke to a couple of Celtic players who had done a morning session with him and they said like, he just keeps running, he doesn’t breathe, he doesn’t say a lot, he just smiles. I think he’s just your dream player.”

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