Magnificent, magical Maeda – Daizen is our Celtic Star of 2024

Each and every player has contributed massively to our success, from Joe Hart to his successor Kasper Schmeichel, Alistair Johnston, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Callum McGregor, all outstanding. Not forgetting Matt O’Riley who’s now at Brighton after a transfer that is set to make Celtic around £30m, then our attacking trio of Nicolas Khun, Kyogo, and not forgetting our cup final hero Adam Idah.

Daizen scored Celtic’s first and last goal of 2024 

But for me Daizen has been our top performer in 2024. The scorer of our first and last goal in 2024 has been outstanding throughout the year and contributed massively to our success on all fronts. Daizen does Daizen things – sometimes brilliant sometimes terrible – but we all get that and he tends to keep his magic for the big games. That goal at Ibrox after 15 seconds burst their bubble, six words in but they new got as far as ‘surrender’ and Daizen had scored the kind of goal no-one in world football would have managed.

Yes, he may not be the most ‘glamorous’ of players and can be something of an ‘enigma’ but his hard work and dedication along with his knack of scoring vital goals has been been ever so vital to us. Ange used to say ‘we never stop’ well Daizen certainly doesn’t.

Daizen has done it in all the big games 

This year he’s done it in all the big games. As I’ve said quick-fire goal against theRangers at Ibrox back in April when he closed down the frightened James Tavernier resulting in the ball nestling in the net, was peak Daizen, magnificent Maeda magic totally unique to Daizen.

Then in the next Derby game at Celtic Park he was just as instrumental as his hard work resulted in John Lundstram putting the ball in his own net in a game we won and all but clinched us the title.

Daizen’s penalty won the Premier Sports Cup

He started off this season in similar fashion as he grabbed the opener in the first derby of the season as we thumped the Ibrox side 3-0. He also scored another Daizen special in the Premier Sports League Cup final win over theRangers earlier this month before scoring the winning spot-kick in the shoot-out to clinch the trophy.

That cup competition was one Daizen excelled in as he also hit a hat trick in the thumping 6-0 win over Aberdeen in the semi-finals as well as grabbing a brace in the earlier round in a 3-1 win over Hibs at Celtic Park.

It’s not just domestically that Daizen has been exceptional, it’s on the European stage also and the greatest club competition of all in which he’s scored three goals as we look set to clinch a play off place in our bid to qualify for the last 16.

All three Japanese stars has enjoyed success against theRangers

All three of our Japanese stars have enjoyed considerable success against theRangers and Reo Hatate, Kyogo and Daizen Maeda could all hurt theRangers again on Thursday but perhaps the one that they fear the most is Daizen Maeda.

All that makes Daizen Maeda our top performer and therefore The Celtic Star of 2024.