Who is Celtic new Bhoy Daizen MaedaThe first thing that was perhaps noted about Maedaâs arrival was the curious structure of the deal that brought him to Celtic from manager Postecoglouâs former club, Yokohama F Marinos. He joins on an initial loan basis for six months, leading some to speculate that he was coming in on something of a trial basis before Celtic committed to bringing him in on a permanent deal. It was revealed yesterday though that the purchase clause set for ÂŁ1.7m in the summer is a compulsory one, and he will be in Glasgow to stay.
Given Postecoglou has worked with Maeda before, the twice-capped striker is perhaps the one that has given Celtic fans most cause for excitement. He can play off the left or behind the main striker, as he did for the most part for his club last season, as he ended up as the J-Leagueâs joint top scorer with 23 goals. The forward has gone on record with his desire to prove himself in Europe, and he in fact had a previous loan spell at Portuguese club Maritimo that was cut short prematurely due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
He told Sky Sports recently: âI felt that I still have a long way to go after playing against foreign players. If I donât experience playing against foreign players, I wonât be able to close the gap, so if I have a chance, I love to go to such a stage.â
Having burst onto the J-League scene last year, he now has his chance. Maeda started his career with Japanese second-tier outfit Matsumoto Yamaga, making his senior debut back in 2016, becoming the youngest player to turn out for their first-team. He is of a similar diminutive stature as Kyogo, standing at just five foot eight, but his most notable asset is his burst of speed, with Maeda once holding an ambition to become an Olympic sprinter before turning his full focus to making it as a footballer. His all-action style of play and high work rate make him a useful asset when it comes to pressing too, rating highly for ball recoveries in the opposition half, suggesting he will fit into Postecoglouâs style perfectly. He is certainly looking forward to the reunion, with his farewell message to Marinos reading: âIâll do my best, and Iâm going to visit the BOSS!â J-League 2021 Topscorer! Daizen Maeda League match goal collectionIch kann mir nicht helfen, aber mich erinnert er vom Spielstil ein bisschen an Kenny Miller zu seinen besten Zeiten. Ein wahnsinnig unbequemer Spieler, sowohl im eigenen Ballbesitz als auch im Gegenpressing, stĂ€ndig in Bewegung, sucht und findet immer wieder freie RĂ€ume und sobald er den Ball hat sofort den Torabschluss, wobei er trotz technischer Defizite und physischer Limitationen sowohl mit beiden FĂŒĂen als auch mit dem Kopf sehr gefĂ€hrlich ist. Und dazu scheint er auch noch sowohl wahnsinnig schnell zu sein (hatte ja wohl mal Ambitionen als Sprinter zu Olympia zu fahren) als auch eine Pferdelunge zu haben, er hatte in der vergangenen Saison auch mit Abstand die meisten Sprints in der J League (insgesamt 1457, 588 mehr als der z
Zweitplatzierte).
Also ein Spieler mit klaren StĂ€rken (Spiel ohne Ball, Schnelligkeit, Beschleunigung, Beweglichkeit, BeidfĂŒĂigkeit im Abschluss und Gegenpressing ohne Ende) aber auch SchwĂ€chen (Technik, Spiel mit Ball am FuĂ, Passspiel). Wenn es gelingt ihn entsprechend seiner StĂ€rken einzusetzen (und mit Postecoglou als seinem ehemaligen Trainer bin ich sehr hoffnungsvoll) dann könnte der noch richtig SpaĂ machen bei uns!
Hier noch eine sehr ausfĂŒhrliche Analyse zu ihm:
Daizen Maeda 2021: Why Celtic want rapid ÂŁ990k-rated forward âworth their weight in goldâ â scout report