Celtic’s Alistair Johnston couldn’t help but express his admiration for his teammate, Daizen Maeda, who delivered a standout performance against Livingston on Saturday.
Johnston shared his thoughts with the media following Celtic’s triumphant win, highlighting Maeda’s remarkable skills and work ethic.
Maeda managed to find the back of the net towards the end of the game at Almondvale, but his contribution was far more than just a late goal. His relentless effort throughout the 90 minutes played a crucial role in Celtic’s victory, even as they were one man down for a significant portion of the match after Joe Hart was shown red before the half-hour mark.
Manager Brendan Rodgers was quick to commend Maeda’s performance during the post-match discussion, and Johnston echoed these sentiments, praising the daily displays of talent from the Japanese international.
Johnston remarked: [The Celtic Way]
“He’s a machine. That’s the simplest way to look at it. You look back at the Rangers match and he was just flying around the pitch for 90 minutes and it was the same in this match as well. He’s got an unbelievable engine.
“He’s a nightmare to play or train against. Just ask any of our full-backs who have to go up against him. He’s just constant and he’s like this every day. Which makes it really difficult for us although it’s good to train against a guy like that. You can never take a minute off.
“He really does count for two on that side as you think you bypass him with the ball and he’s doubling down, pressing the guy again. It’s amazing to watch from my side across the pitch as you know the guy doesn’t know what’s coming as all of a sudden Daizen is there again.
“He’s a joy to have in your team, he’s such a weapon. He just helps us out in so many ways; on the attacking side we see the goal he scored in the 90th minute and then the defensive side as well. He’s really special to have.”
Maeda is crucial to how Celtic play, and while he may not always be on the scoresheet, his contributions, both offensively and defensively, are unmatched.
